Heartbeat
by withfireandblood
Summary: A/U Niklaus is a professional hitman waiting for the right moment to finally confront his father. Caroline is the girlfriend of a dangerous druglord whose partners are sick of his underhanded schemes. He never expected for her to be more than part of the job.
1. Chapter 1

A light dusting of snow blanketed the cemetery. It was two in the morning and there was only one set of tracks across the snow. A young man dusted the snow off of a tombstone.

Esther Mikelson, Loving wife and mother. The dates of her birth and death. There was nothing else, no picture or symbol.

He ran his fingers over the the numbers. It had been ten years to the day. It was a risky move, visiting her grave on that day, he was sure Mikel would be watching.

_Let him watch_, he thought. _Let him find me. I'm ready to end this now_.

He half expected Mikel to come stepping out of the shadows, and placed a hand on his gun, ready to fire. But this wouldn't be the day. His phone beeped and he saw a text.

** The L. Job is on. Pack your bags for warm weather.**

* * *

It all started ten years ago. He was fifteen, Kol was thirteen, and Rebecca was eight. Henrik had just turned two years old. Finn had been gone for what seemed like a lifetime, and Elijah had left for college the week before. He didn't want Elijah to leave, he didn't want all of the responsibility to fall on him like it did on Elijah when Finn left.

"It's a full scholarship, Niklaus, and Engineering is good money. You just have to get through these few years, and then I can take care of you. All of you."

"Elijah, I can't calm him down like you can, what if.."

"You have to try. I can't stay here. This Scholarship is our chance out."

"It's your way out, not mine."

"I will come back, as often as possible, and when it's all over, I'll find a way to get custody of Henrik, Becca and Kol, you'll be a legal adult by then, this is the best way."

Klaus was skeptical. Finn had left four years ago, the day he turned 18. He had never written or called, they had no idea where he was. He didn't even know about Henrik.

"What about mother?"

"We can't make her leave. All we can do is give her the option."

And then Elijah was gone. He had called every single day to talk to his family, and it made Nik feel more assured that he wouldn't lose this brother like Finn.

It had been walking on eggshells, so far. Mikel hadn't made a physical attack, but everyone could sense it coming. Esther and Niklaus were the only ones he ever went after, but the others had all all felt his wrath when they tried to intervene. Niklaus had taken Becca and Henrik out to the park whenever possible, anything to keep them out of the house. But he had school and they always had to be home by dark, so there were still many hours spent in the prison that way their home, just waiting.

Kol had been excited about a party that night. One of his friend's parents had left for the week, leaving a rather irresponsible older sister in charge. Once it seemed like their parents had gone to bed, Kol slipped out the window. He invited his brother to join, but Nik had declined.

Recently his mother had slipped back into her pill and wine induced stupors, where she would sit like a zombie, unaware of the world around her. Mikel was gearing up for something big, he could feel it in the tension of being around him, combined with the sickly sweet episodes where Mikel would play at being a good family man, patting his wife on the head while handing her another pill and refilling her glass, playing on the floor with his youngest children. But something was changing, the way his hands lingered on Rebecca when they played, the way he looked at her. It turned Nik's stomach to even acknowledge it, but there was something predatory, sexual even, in the way his father handled her. Nik didn't think anything had happened yet, but he felt himself growing more and more protective of Becca. He would wake up every hour throughout the night and rush to check on her. He couldn't leave her alone in the house with him. Not when their mother was so incapacitated.

So he watched Kol leave through the window. Then he went to Becca's room to check on her. He smiled when he saw the glow of a flashlight under her sheets. She was supposed to be asleep but she was sneaking a picture book. He closed her door softly and started to walk back to his room when he heard the sound of every pot and pan that had been hanging in the kitchen falling to the floor. His stomach turned. The best possible scenario was that his mother had stumbled trying to walk to bed, and she knocked over the shelf on her way down. The more likely situation was that Mikel had snapped again.

There was screaming and arguing coming from downstairs and he knew it was the latter. He stood still in Becca's doorway, as if he could guard her from what was happening. He knew he should go down there and help his mother, but he knew it would end in scars and bruises for him. He stood there, trying to find the will to pull himself down there and take the punches for her, trying to fight off the little voice inside that told him to just leave it alone and stay away.

He looked down the hall and noticed Henrik's nursery door was open. It was never open once the baby went to bed.

Henrik wasn't in his crib. Nik felt himself go numb as he ran down the stairs.

"You stupid bitch, You'll die for this!"

Mikel was over her. He had tied her a chair and was pouring something in a familiar bottle all over her. It was the lighter fluid they kept next to the grill. This was new. Mikel had always used his bare hands to unleash his rage. Something had snapped.

It was then that Nik noticed the tiny body on the floor. Henrik was in a smudged pool of blood, face up on the floor. He could tell from his wide, unmoving eyes that the baby was dead. It started to add up. Mikel had attacked her from behind, not knowing she was holding the baby. The fall to the tile floor had killed Henrik.

He ran to his mother but before he could get to her Mikel had lit the match and engulfed her body in flames. Esther was screaming in pain. He tried to get to the sink, water, towels, anything to help her, but Mikel slammed him into a wall. He was holding a gun.

"Well if it isn't the bastard himself, come to save your whore mother?"

Nik struggled against him, trying to reach the woman screaming in pain, but Mikel was bigger and stronger.

"I wanted to kill her for you, the vile product of her affair, you are nothing but a disgusting reminder of her mistake. But I held back. Now she's gone and killed my youngest son. I can not suffer her to live anymore."

Nik tried to get to his mother, to help her, but Mikel wouldn't let go. Her hair had burned off and her skin was melting away, revealing the layers of redness underneath.

Mikel forced Nik to face his mother, gripping his arms. Nik felt something cold in his hands. He immediately knew what it was and tried to turn to face Mikel but his father was too strong.

"There's only one bullet. Since you're the piece of shit bastard child who ruined her, it seems fitting that you should be the one to kill her."

"I won't" he screamed

"Nicky, please" begged his mother, using her special nickname for him, the one they only used when they were alone. "It hurts. Please. Do it."

He realized what she was asking. She wanted the bullet. She wanted a swift end to her pain. The burns were all over her body, boring deep holes in her raw flesh, she would never recover. The burns weren't the only pain she could never recover from. She nodded yes to him and he felt hit tears running down his face.

He pulled the trigger.

The second it happened he felt Mikel's grip relax. He whipped himself around and hit him as hard as he could with the gun. He hit him in the face over and over, feeling Mikel's blood spray back at him.

It was done.

He put the gun in his pocket and scrubbed at his face until the water ran clear.

Becca would have heard everything. He ran to his room and changed his clothes, putting the bloody ones in a bag he could throw away on the way out. He grabbed a duffel bag from the closet and began packing it with the essentials. he ran to his parents room and pulled the money from his father's wallet and the jewelry from his mother's dresser. The car keys were on the floor.

Becca was hiding under her bed, crying and gripping her favorite doll. He crouched down on the floor to look at her.

"Becca, it's ok, you're safe. You have to come with me. We have to get out of here."

"Is Mommy coming with us?"

"No, sweetie, she can't come with us, we have to go right now."

She hesitantly grabbed his hand and pulled herself from under the bed.

He strapped Becca into the backseat and drove away. Elijah had taken him to get his learner's permit a few months ago, and he could drive just fine. He was going to Ayanna's. She was his mother's coworker and best friend. She was also the only one outside their family who knew what Mikel was really like.

She opened the door the second they knocked, almost as if she had been expecting them. Becca ran to her and hugged her legs.

"Can you take care of her for a while?" he asked

She leaned over to him and wiped a streak of dried blood off of his ear. "Esther. Is she?" she asked, and he nodded yes.

Her arms tightened around Becca. "Of course. You can all stay here."

"I shouldn't. But Kol... he's at his friends house."

"Where?"

"127 Oak street."

"I'll pick him up and bring him here. What about Henrik?"

He shook his head, looking down.

"That monster. Are you sure you won't stay with us?"

"I can't. I can't be here, I was the one to..."

She nodded and scrambled for a pen. She was drawing some kind of symbol on his forearm. Once she finished that, she was scribbling something on a piece of paper.

"This is directions to my sister's house. Her name is Emily Bennett. I never told your mother about her. Show her the symbol on your arm and she'll know what to do. She'll take care of you."

He bent down to kiss his sister goodbye and then he was gone.

Across town, Mikel opened his eyes.

* * *

Ten Years Later...

Caroline Forbes waded through the pool to the little bar that was set up in the middle of the low end. She pointed at the slushy pitcher of Pina colada and held out her wristband for the bartender to scan. Everything would be charged back to Tyler's room. If her boyfriend insisted on spending the whole day working, she would have to find some other way of entertaining herself.

She woke up to him measuring and testing little piles of white powder, scribbling notes and measuring off smaller sections, carefully treating them with some clear liquid he held in an eyedropper. When all her attempts to seduce him failed, she shrugged and headed down to the pool. If his needed to focus on his work, she wasn't going to pout and sit in the room when the sun was shining so perfectly.

She spotted Elena walking over to the pool and waved. Her friend smiled and placed her bag on a chair before wading in.

Tyler's partners, the Salvatore brothers, were with them for this particular business venture. Considering they were planning on staying for a month, she was relieved that one of them brought a girlfriend along. It gave her someone to talk to.

Elena kissed her on the cheek and took a sip from her drink.

"Thats amazing, I'm getting one. Or five."

Caroline smiled and splashed her as Elena waded to the pool bar. Once she got her drink they picked a sunny spot to lay out in.

"How's Damon?"

"Ugh. He's so serious and uptight today. The big client coming in tonight I guess."

"Tyler's the same, if that makes you feel any better. I practically sat on his lap naked at breakfast and he couldn't be bothered. Too busy fussing over the product."

Elena gave her a sympathetic smile. She and Damon had actually spent the better part of the morning in bed, he was always good about making her feel like the most important thing in the world, even when he was busy and stressed with work, but she wasn't one to brag about it. Elena was kind. She was happy and wished everyone could experience the type of happiness she had with Damon. Caroline just didn't seem to have that with Tyler. She silently wondered how Tyler ended up with a girl like Caroline anyway. She wasn't a junkie, she didn't even touch the stuff, so it wasn't like she was after him for that. She didn't seem like a total gold digger either, and she was beautiful, she could get any guy. Tyler had money and power, but he just didn't seem like a good match for Caroline. Maybe she just wanted an adventure? That was one of the things Elena liked most about her life with Damon. Every day was an adventure.

He had been watching her. He had memorized her picture from the files and he had noticed that she was beautiful, but she was even more stunning in person. He tried to push those thoughts away. This was a job. She was his way in. He was here to kill Tyler Lockwood, and she was the easiest way to get to him. In fact, his client had suggested it. He could kill Lockwood easily, but this job had some specifics about the when and where that he had to follow. He felt himself smile as she laughed with the girl next to her, joking about something. He had been waiting for hours, but the two of them were inseparable, going to get drinks together, even going to the bathroom together. He stood up when the pretty brunette next to her picked up her phone and walked away to get better reception. Alone at last.

"Excuse me, sweetheart, where are they selling those drinks?"

Caroline was caught off guard. Her book slipped from her lap as she looked up at the man with the incredibly sexy voice. Yes, he was speaking to her. He bent down to pick her book off the concrete and handed it back to her. She just looked at him, he was so attractive. She had forgotten the question until he asked again and she snapped out of it_. You have a boyfriend, Caroline. A boyfriend who collects weapons and would probably kill this guy for talking to you_.

She straightened up and tried to be a bit short with him, so he wouldn't stay and try to flirt.

She pointed to the pool bar "Over there."

"Will you come with me? I'd be happy to buy you one for being so kind."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Well then would mind if I left my shoes here while I go over there?" He started to pull a credit card out of his wallet.

"Are you new or something? You can't pay with that."

He raised an eyebrow at her. She was a feisty one.

"Where's your wristband? Thats the only thing you can use to pay for things while you're on the resort. It all goes automatically back to your room."

He dug through his wallet, he had just shoved all the little papers and cards they gave him at the front desk in without bothering to look.

She reached over and grabbed his wallet, pulling the black plastic strip out, and she gave him his wallet back and handed him the wristband.

He fumbled with trying to put it on himself. It was an act, of course, but he was doing anything to spend another minute with her. He needed to make an impression.

She rolled her eyes at him and put out her hand. He handed her the wristband and sat on her chair with her. He felt her tense up as his skin touched hers. She seemed a little nervous as her hands wrapped the wristband around his wrist and she snapped it shut.

"There. You're good."

His hand grazed across her leg as he stood up. She bit her lip, trying not to blush. Caroline didn't want him to know she was imagining his hands doing a lot more.

"Thank you..." He paused, waiting for her to introduce herself.

"Caroline Forbes. And you're Nik Night."

He was taken aback. How did she know the name he used for work?

She smiled "I saw your license when I grabbed the wristband from your wallet." She didn't add that she also knew he was in room 527, in the same tower as her, but a few floors below.

He smiled. She was smarter than he anticipated. He'd have to be careful.

He pulled off his shirt and kicked off his shoes, placing them on the chair next to her. He was about to put his wallet and phone down too, but decided against it. She might poke through them, and while he always deleted texts and calls from work, what if he got one while he was gone?

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just putting these down while I grab a drink."

"Well put them somewhere else."

"Have I offended you?" he laughed.

"I'm. Not. Interested."

"Interested in what, love?"

"Sleeping with you. or dating you. or whatever."

"I wasn't offering. I just happen to like this particular chair."

She clenched her jaw. Why couldn't he take a hint? "Fine. I'm leaving anyway."

He watched her, amused, as she attempted to gather up all her things and Elena's and balance them in her hands without spilling her drink. Elena was walking back and shot Caroline a confused look, but walked over and took some of the things her friend was holding.

Caroline stomped away. "Come on, Lena, We have somewhere to be."

_No we don't_, Elena thought, but she noticed the cute guy with the devilish grin in the chair next to where Caroline was sitting, and she figured her friend wanted to get away. He didn't seem like a creep, and there was no harm in just talking to someone, but she followed Caroline anyway.

"Who was that guy?"

"No one. He's no one."


	2. Chapter 2

There were Penthouse suites in the top of each of the four towers at the resort. Tyler and the Salvatores had rented out the one in the East tower for the month. They chose that one in particular, because it was set up nicely for the amount of people in their group, and it allowed a certain amount of privacy for each of the couples. They had decided that they would be meeting the client in the room that night, so the girls needed to be gone. They had rented the two of them a room on the 5th floor, so they could hang out and get a good night's sleep. The client was showing up at 11 and would probably be there late into the night. He was someone big and dangerous, so Caroline was nervous for Tyler, but relieved to be getting away.

"I'm calling room service for dinner." Elena was flipping through the menu. "Think we should get a bottle of Champagne to pre-game before we go out?"

"Where are we going?"

"It's called Heartbeat. Like a ten minute cab ride. Swanky, fancy kind of place, good music, I've heard."

"I'm in."

"Compliments of Damon Salvatore" Elena joked, waving a platinum card.

"Aww, he shouldn't have" Caroline joked. "I want that salad with the chicken and the cranberries and oranges on it. Can you call it in? I'll go get some ice for the champagne."

* * *

He was good enough at his job to know not to bug the penthouse. Tyler was a professional, he would check. But when he checked the records to see the second, smaller room, and when he confirmed that it was just the girls staying in it, he slipped in and planted some ears. He had been listening ever since they arrived. He grabbed his ice bucket and walked down the hall.

"Hello. It seems we're neighbors"

Caroline felt a chill when she heard that voice again. She turned around from the ice machine. It was him again.

"No. I mean, just for tonight. Then I'll be back in my regular room with my boyfriend." she stressed the word boyfriend, hoping to make him back off.

"But not tonight? Whats the matter love, trouble in paradise?"

She glared at him. "None of your business."

"Do you have an open relationship or something? Is he in there with another woman?"

He was getting to her and he was enjoying every minute. She was stomping back down the hallway towards her room, and he was casually walking next to her, hoping she wouldn't notice that he never did get his ice.

"No we do not. Ugh! I don't have to explain anything to you."

"Did you see my room number when you were nosing through my wallet? Is that why you're here, hoping to run into me? So much for not interested. All you have to do is ask, sweetheart."

She was steaming. How could he have noticed she saw his room number? She thought she was being so clever.

"I am not-"

Elena flung the door open. "There you are! and.. oh. guy from the pool."

"Nik" he introduced himself and reached out to shake her hand.

"Elena. Do you want to come in, Nik? We're getting ready to go out and just ordered some food and drinks. I always get more than I end up eating so there's plenty to spare."

"No. Elena, he was just leaving. And you shouldn't go around inviting strange men into our room. Damon might get the wrong idea."

She shrugged. "It was nice meeting you, Nik. Maybe we'll see you later tonight at Heartbeat."

Caroline shot her a look and closed the door.

"Elena. What the hell?"

"What, he's hot. And he seems ok."

"I have a boyfriend. You have a boyfriend."

"Yeah, and my boyfriend and I are secure enough in our relationship to be cool with each other hanging out with members of the opposite sex. Even hot ones. We trust each other."

"Tyler doesn't trust. He would throw a fit at the idea of that guy sitting in here with us or going out dancing with us. What if we run into him now?"

"Then we run into him. You can dance with him if you want, or just talk to him and let him buy you drinks. You're not doing anything wrong. You can make a new friend."

"I don't think he's interested in being friends."

"You need to loosen up. And pull the smallest dress and tallest shoes out of your bag, because tonight we're going all out."

* * *

The cab door opened and they were on their way to the velvet ropes. Caroline's head was already buzzing from the champagne and she was excited to go dance in her cutest outfit. When they got to the door, the bouncer waved them in without bothering to check their ids. The place was packed, it was dark and the music was loud. They went to the bar and got drinks and then worked their way to the middle of the dance floor.

Elena was looking up at something, a girl drinking straight from a bottle of bourbon up in one of the VIP booths. "Ohmygod. Katherine!" She pulled Caroline's arm and barreled up the stairs.

When they got to the roped off area, Katherine put a hand on the bouncer's shoulder. "They're with me."

He shrugged and let them in.

"Katherine this is my friend Caroline, Caroline this is my.."

"Twin." Caroline finished. It was uncanny. Katherine looked just like her, she just styled her hair different, and she had a few tattoos.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked

"Oh, you know, this guy I was seeing on this traveling Brazilian soccer team and I got into this big fight in South Africa, so I was all alone there for a while until I meet this guy down there who wanted to go here, and he ended up being kinda boring, but his brother was really cute, so now brother #2 and I are staying in Penthouse West over at the resort."

"No way! We're in East."

"Small world" Katherine smiled.

Caroline had gotten bored of all the twin chat and catching up between the sisters, so she excused herself to get some air. She found a quiet balcony and looked out to the stars.

She saw a person come stand next to her, but assuming it was just another person looking at the stars, she didn't bother to turn and look at them.

"Beautiful, aren't they" he said. The voice made her freeze in place.

"Are you following me?"

"I most certainly am not. However it is a wonderful coincidence that I've managed to see you three times in one day."

"Wonderful how? You like me being rude to you?"

"I like you speaking to me at all, even if you are a bit harsh. You're very beautiful, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to be able to see you again."

"Ok, dude, what's your deal? I have a boyfriend."

"He can't be a very good one."

"Excuse me?"

"I've seen you this afternoon, this evening and now late at night. And where is he?"

"He's busy."

"Love, If you were with me, I don't think I could ever be busy enough to leave you alone like that."

"You're judging based on one day. Maybe I'll parade him around you tomorrow so you'll leave me alone."

"Well I would like to see what my competition looks like"

"It's not a competition."

"You're right. I'm sure he doesn't quite measure up."

"Right, you're not full of yourself or anything."

"I'm just going by what I see."

"And what's that?"

"The most beautiful girl I've ever seen, spending her days without her so called boyfriend. She looks more afraid or burdened than enamored whenever she mentions him. She's feisty and smart and she stands up for herself. And this morning she was reading a book by my favorite author, so I know we have at least that in common. I've known you for a day. Less than a day. Little snippets of time spread out over a day. And I already see that you're incredible and I can't possibly imagine letting you slip through my fingers without giving it a fair shot."

He had meant all the words he said, surprisingly. He had little speeches and stories he knew worked for jobs like this. He had ways of building up trust quickly. Yet he didn't go for any of that stuff. He just spoke and let what he was thinking came out.

She scrunched her brow. "Ok, so you just said some really nice stuff about me, but that doesn't answer my question. What makes you so sure that my boyfriend does't measure up? That you have something he doesn't?"

He put his hand over hers. She thought about ripping her hand away from him but she way dying to hear the next thing out of his mouth.

"You just showed me he didn't. I told you a few little things I like about you, and I'm convinced that list would only grow if you gave me a chance to really get to know you. And the way you looked when I said those things, it's like no one ever tells you how beautiful and special you are."

She felt like she was going to cry. Who was this strange man to come in and toy with her emotions like this? What was the point of it all? She couldn't leave Tyler even if she wanted to. And why did it matter if he told her how he felt about her all the time or said she was beautiful? That stuff was silly to concern yourself with, life isn't a fairy tale.

He took a step closer. "If you were mine, I would tell you every day. Every time I saw you I would tell you you're beautiful and incredible. Because it would be true every day. Does he even know? Does he see you?"

He was getting closer to her. She had to tilt her head up a bit to look at him. He reached a hand out to touch the side of her face, and she leaned into the touch. He was getting closer. He was going to kiss her.

"No" she whispered, wishing she didn't have to. "Nik, you're probably a great guy. I don't know why you're being so nice to me and saying these things, but I'm not a good person. My boyfriend isn't either. He could seriously hurt you if he knew what you were trying to do."

"I don't think he's going to be your boyfriend much longer" he said, smiling at his private joke._ Because I'm going to kill him and collect my money for doing so_.

Caroline would never admit it, but in that moment she wished she could just walk away from Tyler. But she couldn't. She knew too much about him, his business. He would never let her leave.

"You just can't" she whispered.

She was backing away, ready to sprint out of there before she could change her mind, but then a familiar face popped in front of them. Elena. No, not Elena. Katherine.

"There you are! Is your phone off or something? Elena's been looking for you for the past hour."

Had she really spent an hour here with him? It felt like a minute.

She was reaching over to introduce herself. "Katherine Gilbert. And I can see from the confused look on your face that you already met my twin sister."

"Nik."

"Well Nik, we're getting out of here, I'd invite everyone to my place,but my boyfriend and his friends took off a half hour ago and they've probably already crashed for the night, so it looks like we're going back to Elena and Caroline's."

"I'm right down the hall from them"

"Of course you are" she said, smiling at Caroline. "So share a cab with us. That is, if you're ready to leave."

"If Caroline's leaving I think I will too." he responded.

Katherine smiled and grabbed both their hands. "It's settled then. Let's go"

Elena was waiting by the bar up front. When she stood up to greet them Caroline could tell she had drank way too much. Katherine looped her sister's arm around her neck and steadied her as she pulled her into the cab. The ride went by quickly, Elena had been giggling and chatting with Katherine in some made up twin language from when they were kids.

Caroline had always wanted siblings. She looked over at Nik who seemed sad as well. Maybe he was an only child too.

When they got out of the cab they started the walk across the hotel to the elevators. Katherine was occupied with keeping Elena upright. Caroline was trying to keep her distance from Nik, whose eyes seemed to follow her every move, when her heel stuck in a crack between the bricks of the walkway.

It sent her flying forward, but luckily she had put her hands out quick enough to keep from falling on her face. Elena screamed. Caroline tried to pop back up quickly, but her heel wouldn't budge. She was so embarrassed, sprawled out on the ground, and her foot was still stuck. Her knee was stinging with pain.

He was there, gently pulling her foot out before she could protest. She awkwardly wiggled around so she was sitting, and pulled at her dress to make sure everything was covered. He reached over to smooth out her hair.

"What did you land on?"

She thought he was going to ask if she was ok. It was her pet peeve, people who would ask if she was ok when she was obviously not. She felt a little disappointed to miss her chance to snap at him again.

"My hands and my left knee."

He pulled her hands towards him, dusting the dirt off her palms. There were a few tiny scratches but no blood. He looked down at her knee. It had caught a corner of one of the bricks and there was a deep gash among the tiny abrasions. A stream of blood was trailing down her leg.

"That looks bad. I have some things upstairs to patch it up."

"It's fine" she protested "It's nothing"

His hand was under her injured knee, his thumb tracing just outside the edge of the injury. "It's not nothing."

Katherine whispered to her sister "Caroline's boyfriend is so adorable. Look at him taking care of her."

"Thats not her boyfriend" Elena replied.

"Well he should be."

Caroline hoped he wasn't listening, but she could tell from the smile on his face that he was. She felt her stomach lurch, and convinced herself it was out of worry for him. _This guy is going to get himself killed if he keeps after me like this_.

"Stop it, what are you doing?"

He was pulling her up to carry her and she locked her arms around his neck, afraid he would drop her.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm helping you get back to the rooms."

"I can walk. I didn't break my leg or anything."

"Nonsense. You're bleeding, and you'll bleed less if we keep it elevated above your heart. You can't very well do that while you're walking."

She struggled a little bit, trying to break free, but his grip on her was steady. "You have to put me down." What if someone saw? How would it look? Tyler would kill him for touching her like that.

He just shushed her and walked over to the elevators.

* * *

He set her down on the bathroom counter and then when back to his room for a first aid kit. What kind of guy brings a first aid kit on vacation with him? Was he a doctor or something?

Katherine made a face when she looked at Caroline's knee. "Blood, yuck."

Elena just leaned on the counter next to her and made a few Dr. McDreamy jokes while he was out of the room. When she heard the soft knock she squealed and gave Caroline an excited smile. Caroline was annoyed with her. Why was she encouraging this?

He had a black canvas bag with him. He pulled a few bottles and cases out and put them on the counter next to her. He was sorry to see her hurt, but he couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. He needed her to trust him enough to bring him up to the penthouse, he wanted to survey the place before the Lockwood job got called in.

He stood in front of her and pulled her leg to his side, looking at the wound. his hand under her knee kept it steady. He could have broken away to grab what he needed from the counter, but where was the fun in that? He leaned into her as he reached across to grab a washcloth, and wet it in the sink.

He was leaning against her to reach the sink, while her leg curled against his side. _Oh, god, what would this look like if Tyler stopped by?_ Caroline thought. Nik seemed occupied by tending to her knee, so she snuck a look at him when he would't notice. She was convinced he could hear her heartbeat slamming through her chest. _ What is wrong with you, Caroline? _she thought_. You don't even know him. _

He cleaned the wound with the wet cloth first, then peroxide. She dug her nails into his shoulder when the sting of the disinfectant hit her.

"Oh, god! I'm sorry"

He laughed. "Perfectly ok, love. the worst is over now. I'm just going to put some bandages on."

When she was all patched up he helped her get down from the counter. They stood there for a minute. She looked up at him and he was looking back at her with an intensity she wasn't used to. People like this aren't real, she thought, This doesn't really happen.

"Thank you" she whispered.

"Any time."

Elena and Katherine had fallen asleep on one of the beds with their clothes and shoes still on. He was walking out of the room, trying not to push his luck even though all he wanted was to stay with her a little longer. There was something about her he just couldn't shake. He was dying to know more about her. Who was she anyway, and how did she get mixed up in all this?

He kissed the top of her forehead and turned to open the door.

"Make sure you bolt this once I'm gone. Things that go bump in the night and all that."

She nodded and watched him walk out. When he was gone she hobbled over to the door and locked it and turned the deadbolt as well. She shrugged out of her dress and pulled herself under the covers. She touched the place on her forehead he had kissed. She had felt fire where his lips touched. He was going to bring her whole world down, she could feel it. He was going to be the death of her, and she would run to him willingly. It was all going to end in fire and blood.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a beep as a key card slipped into the door, and a smack as the deadbolt prevented the door from opening. Someone was pounding on the door.

Elena groaned and walked to the door. Damon and Stefan were there.

"Morning, babe." he kissed her. He glanced over at Katherine. She had a knack for showing up unexpectedly. "Morning, twin-face."

Katherine dragged herself out of bed and gave Damon a hug, then pulled Stefan in for a longer one. "Boys! I haven't seen you since Rio. How've you been treating my sister?"

Stefan blushed a little. Caroline wasn't with them for the Rio trip. Did something happen between Stefan and Katherine?

Damon jumped up on her bed. "Wake up, Barbie!" He was in a good mood. Last night's deal must have gone very well.

She glared at him and pulled herself out of the sheets. He looked at the carefully bandaged gash on her knee.

"Get into a fight last night?"

"I fell."

"Well good thing someone patched you up. We don't roll with broken barbies. Who bandaged this? They did a really good job."

"Elena." she lied

He raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend "How come you don't ever play sexy nurse for me?"

"Halloween" she reminded him.

"How could I forget. Hey, do you guys think there's a costume shop somewhere on this island? because I 'cough cough' think I'm coming down with something and I could really use a nurse to take care of me."

Elena threw a pillow at him.

Caroline looked for some jeans in her bag. "I'm going to go see Tyler."

"Actually, I'm on my way to meet with him about some numbers. But I won't keep him long, I have an appointment with a very naughty nurse this afternoon."

Elena ignored the last comment. she wasn't quite as open as he was about telling other people about that kind of stuff. "I'm going to check out Katherine's room while you're doing that. Wanna come with, Care?"

"Actually, I was going to ask Caroline if she wanted to get breakfast with me" Stefan interjected. "I don't need to be at this meeting and I could use the company."

Caroline smiled "The place with the good coffee?"

Stefan nodded.

* * *

It had been a long time since Caroline had a close male friend and sex didn't get in the way. Either she liked them or they liked her. But with Stefan, she had an instant friendship, and it never got weird. When she first started traveling with Tyler, it was the three of them, Damon and Elena were off on another trip. Tyler would spend more time stressing over work and she and Stefan would just hang out, watching tv and talking. Other than Elena, he was her best friend.

"Damon and I have been talking lately, and I want you to know something."

She sat up straighter. Stefan was using his serious voice.

"Caroline, you know you're important to us. Not just because you're Tyler's girlfriend. You're part of the team."

Hardly, she thought. She and Elena rarely participated in anything that had to do with their work. The boys trained them in a few basic cons, mostly acting as distraction so they could slip past without someone seeing. Her main job title with them was 'little blonde distraction'. Occasionally they would go out to dinners and clubs with clients. Certain types wanted to see beautiful girls with the men they bought their product from. One middle aged man who wore too many gold chains had once whispered in her ear "I always know where to get the best product. I look for the man with the prettiest girl on his arm."

"I like the team." she smiled

"Anyway, Care. We love you. All of us. I just want you to know, that if something happens, If you decide not to be with Tyler anymore, I still want you to be with us. Damon and Elena feel the same way."

Did Elena say something to him? Did he know about Nik? No, it was impossible. Maybe Tyler was going to break up with her. It would explain how he had been acting.

"Stefan, whats going on? Did Tyler say something to you? Does he want to break up?"

"No, Care. Its just... Look, you have to promise me you won't tell Tyler about this conversation, ok?"

She nodded in agreement. "I promise"

"Tyler's... He's my friend and my business partner. But you're my friend too. and I think you'd be happier without him. But I guess I'm selfish, because I like having you with us. So I just want you to know, if you need to get away from him or end things, you can come to me. And you can still be part of this team."

"You think I should break up with him? He'd kill me. It's not an option, Stefan."

"Your first reason for not breaking up with him is that you're afraid of what he'll do. Not that you love him or want to be with him. Interesting."

"Stefan, sometimes I really hate how well you know me."

He gave her a sad smile and sipped his coffee.

"Just give me some time to process this, ok?" she asked.

He handed her the keycard to the room she had shared with Elena. She had left it on the table when they left. she had her bags sent back to the Penthouse, where she was planning on going right after her breakfast with Stefan.

"Damon rented the room out for the whole time we're here. If you ever feel like you're not safe around Tyler or you need to get away, just go back to this room and contact one of us. Tyler doesn't know we still have it."

"Stefan, what aren't you telling me?"

"Just be careful, Caroline."

She was worried. There was something he wasn't telling her, but she knew she wouldn't be able to pull it out of him when he was being all cryptic.

"So you and Katherine, huh?"

"That was a long time ago."

"Do you still like her?"

"She's a basket case. I'm not interested in going there again. Besides..." He stopped at took a sip of his coffee. "So this is really good coffee, right? We should get a few bags of it before we leave."

"Besides what, Stef?"

"It's not a big deal."

"Tell me, tell me!"

"I was trying to keep it secret but, theres this girl."

Caroline let out a high pitched squeal. She was a sucker for romantic stories and it had been a long time since Stefan had a girl in his life for more than a weekend.

"I met her at a party when we were in New York last month. She's a college student, really smart. We got to talking, and we realized that we were in the same second grade class, but her family moved away after that."

"She was from Mystic Falls too? Isn't that town like crazy small?"

"Yeah, it was a really weird coincidence. We just connected really well, so we've been in contact ever since. I talk to her on Skype or the phone pretty much every day."

"Does she know, what we do?"

"Of course not. She thinks I'm in pharmaceutical sales."

"Thats another way of saying it..."

"It just sucks. I can't do anything about it. She's there and I'm always somewhere else, and I can't even tell her the truth."

"You should fly her out here. It would be so romantic, I could just die. Please, Stefan? It would be the cutest thing ever."

"No way. She's too sweet for all this. And she's had a lot of bad stuff happen to her already. I don't want to make her life worse."

"You won't, Stefan. You're great and you deserve to be happy."

"I could say the same about you, Caroline."

"I am happy" she answered weakly, not really believing it.

* * *

Damon watched Vicky walk out of the penthouse. It was a brazen move, inviting someone from a rival group into their room. Tyler was too confident, or he was starting to get sloppy. She paused to fix her skirt and smooth out her hair. Well that answers the question of if she was there for business or pleasure. She stopped again to check inside her purse, and he saw her handle a small vial of clear liquid. _Both_ Damon thought.

Tyler was robbing them blind and giving their secret formulas to a rival. When they went on a trip without him, he had dosed the product with something poisonous. If they hadn't been watching him, they would have unknowingly killed everyone who took it. The customer was a powerful man, and an arms dealer. If they gave him the product Tyler had handed them, the Salvatore brothers would have been tortured and killed. The look of horror on his face when they came back from that trip alive only confirmed it. He was trying to get them killed. He had betrayed the Salvatore brothers in every way possible. It wasn't enough to kick him out. He had to die.

Damon waited a few minutes before entering the Penthouse. He didn't want Tyler to know he saw Vicky. Tyler was in the shower when he got in. He poked his head in Tyler's room and saw condom wrappers strewn on the floor. _He better get rid of those before Caroline shows up_ Damon thought.

They had their brief meeting and parted ways. Tyler was sweating and jittery. He was using way too much, and he was getting paranoid. He sensed that something was coming for him.

* * *

"Emily" he answered the phone.

"Hey, Nik. How's the Caribbean sun treating you."

"Heavenly. Why can't all my jobs be in places like this?"

"Glad to hear it. Just wanted to go over a few quick details."

"Right."

"I talked to the client again today. They made it very clear that you are only to take out L. Under no circumstances are you to harm anyone else, specifically the two young ladies who are also living in his Penthouse. A Caroline and an Elena. The client was very very insistent that I call to remind you this."

"Of course. I understand. I've actually already met the girls, and they seem lovely. No need to worry."

"You work fast."

"I learned from the best"

"Alright, be careful baby." Emily reminded him.

She had been like a mother to him since the day he showed up on her doorstep. More than a mother, she was his teacher. Ayanna must have know what he did when he showed up at her house with Becca, and she knew he couldn't stay in the mainstream world after that. He could have ended up in jail, she knew there was no way to prove Mikel was the one who was really responsible. He was so young, but Emily was his best option. Ayanna knew she could protect Becca and Kol, but Niklaus could never have a normal life again.

Emily was part of a very elite group of assassins. She was the absolute best. Her sister had marked the scared little boy, letting her know that he was ready to be trained. She had trained him well. He was ready to follow her on jobs by the time he was 16 and when he turned 18 he did his first solo mission. He was her pride and joy, her baby. He was the boy she raised to become one of the world's top earning killers. Her government contacts had been requesting him for years. The two of them slipped into palaces in the Middle East and private yachts in the Mediterranean, and took out people the government didn't want the general public to know ever existed. They were a perfect team.

"Hey Emily?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Who is the client?"

"Two guys, looked like brothers. The one who gave me the deposit introduced himself as Damon. I ran a check. They're the Salvatore brother's, Lockwood's partners."

"Hmm." he said. He remembered their pictures from the files. He liked having a face to attach to the person who was paying him to kill someone.

"Don't let your conscience creep up on you, baby. I did the research. A quick hit is merciful considering what this asshole did to them. Trust me, you're on the right side."

"Ok"

"Bye, Nik. And be careful."

"Bye"

* * *

Caroline bounced into the hotel room, trying to be cheerful. She was going to give today her best shot at having a good time with Tyler. She didn't want to rush into any decisions and she needed to remind herself why she was with him in the first place. They used to have so much fun, she just needed a glimpse of it to know the man she fell in love with was still there.

He was pacing around. He looked pale and jittery.

"Tyler! I missed you."

She pulled him into a kiss, and he didn't even try to kiss back.

"Missed me? I saw you yesterday."

"Yeah but..." She noticed his eyes. Slightly glazed and the pupils were dilated. He was using. She sighed. The Tyler she loved wouldn't be making an appearance today. She walked over to the mini fridge and pulled out a snickers bar. She flopped on the bed and tossed the wrapper in the garbage. Something else in the garbage can caught her eye. The little square wrapper wasn't the same brand they used. Her stomach turned and she wanted to throw up the candy bar she had just eaten. She felt a lump in her throat, and curled on her side, hiding her face from him. There was a long brown hair on the sheets next to her. It was much lighter than Elena's hair but darker than hers. She had suspected for a long time, but now it was real.

"I don't think we should be together anymore" she whispered.

He looked at her, stunned.

She slowly got up from the bed. She just wanted her purse. It had the key to the room. Then she would call Stefan and he would help her get the rest of her stuff. She was inching towards it, out the door, when everything happened in a flash.

"You're not breaking up with me."

"Yes. I am."

The shock turned to rage and she felt the world spin around her as hot pain suddenly met her face. She was on the floor. His hands around her neck. Her chest was burning from lack of air. Everything was fading.

Suddenly, Stefan was there. She scrambled to stand up.

"Caroline, run! Go!"

She grabbed her purse and tore out of there.


	4. Chapter 4

He had just gotten off the phone when a notice flashed across his laptop. There was noise in the room down the hall. He knew the room was rented out for the month, but he didn't expect the girls to be back in it so soon.

"Elena? Elena please pick up. Please."

Caroline's voice. Something was very wrong. The voicemail recording started and she hung up the phone. She dialed again.

"Stefan? please be ok. Stefan?" but she had gotten another voicemail message and hung up again.

She was crying, and she was all alone in the room. If it was anyone else he would leave it be. This did nothing to further the plan and he hadn't even thought of an excuse for knocking on her door. But this was her, and somehow she was different.

He knocked on the door. He could hear her footsteps pause as she looked through the peephole, and then the sounds of the locks unclicking.

His eyes went straight to the nasty bruise on her face, then he saw the marks on her neck as well. Without thinking, he pushed his way into the room and pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't fight it, she clung to him and sobbed into his shirt.

He pulled one arm away to close the door behind them and sat down on the bed. She sat next to him, than to his shock, she pulled herself into his lap and clung tighter to him, sill crying.

He didn't know what to do with her. He was used to being around women who kept their emotions hidden. He had never seen Emily cry. Becca hadn't cried in front of him since she was a child. His sister was still an important part of his life, but she was nothing like that scared little girl he pulled from under the bed ten years ago. He kept his romantic relationships short and never got in too deep. He couldn't stay in one place for long or tell them what he really did for work, so what was the point?

Some of the people he killed cried and begged for their lives before he ended them. But that was work, he felt nothing.

For the first time since he carried Becca out of their house he looked down at the person crying on him and felt a pang of empathy. He stroked her hair and murmured reassuring words in her ear, feeling the rage building inside him. He wanted to take out whoever did this to her. He didn't care if the Salvatore brothers were his client. He would end them if they were the ones who did this.

"Who did this to you?"

She tried to answer but couldn't. She just kept crying.

"It's ok, you're safe with me. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

She looked at him, dazed. Was she dreaming him? He reached down to wipe her tears away and she flinched when his finger grazed the raw bruise.

He winced when he saw her react like that, he hadn't meant to make it worse. Slowly, cautiously, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, just far away enough from the bruises to avoid hurting her. Her hand caught the back of his head and her fingers combed through his messy hair. He had pulled away from her cheek and now his face was just inches away. She tilted her chin up and her eyes started to flutter closed. She was dying to know what it felt like to be kissed by him.

The lock clicked. Someone was sliding a key card into the door. He reached to his side but realized his gun was still in his room. There was a knife in his pocket, that would have to do.

Caroline pulled away from their almost-kiss at lightning speed. She turned around to look at Stefan standing in the doorway. He had a split lip, but otherwise seemed fine. He rushed over to her and she hesitantly sat up, putting a few inches between her and Nik.

Nik remembered that he wasn't supposed to know who Stefan was, and that while Stefan had hired him, he didn't know what Nik looked like, since they only saw Emily in person.

"Stefan, oh my god, Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Care. He's knocked out for now. We're going to take care of you, it's gonna be ok."

He looked over at Nik. Why was there a stranger in her room? "Who the fuck are you?"

"Uh. I'm Nik, a friend." he said lamely. "Are you the boyfriend?"

"No. The boyfriend is the one who did this to her."

So Tyler had attacked her. Was it because he found out about Nik being around her? Had someone seen him carry her though the lobby? Did her friend Elena tell him how they behaved in the bathroom that night? He was suddenly very very happy about his job assignment. This might be his most satisfying kill yet.

"Ex-boyfriend" Caroline spat.

"Ex-boyfriend" Stefan repeated, smiling "Good for you Care." He gave Nik a warning look. Nik could tell that he was very protective of Caroline.

Stefan pulled out his phone to call Damon, but it went to voicemail. "Damn it Damon! We have a situation here. This is serious. Call me back." He looked hesitantly at Nik, wondering who this stranger was and if he could trust him alone with Caroline. He wasn't convinced.

"Here" he shoved the bucket at Nik "Go get some ice for her."

Nik looked over at her and she nodded. It was ok. Then he walked out.

"Care, I'm so sorry I didn't get there faster, Are you ok?"

"Fine." she grumbled, wiping her tears away. "He was sleeping with someone else."

The look on Stefan's face was more guilt than surprise.

"You knew? And you didn't tell me? Did the others know too?"

"Care, I'm sorry. Damon and I knew, but we didn't want to lose you, we didn't want to be the ones to tell you."

"The whole time?"

He nodded. "Elena didn't know. I swear."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just couldn't. Business stuff. I'm sorry Caroline, I really wanted to help you find out yourself. I kept trying to drop hints."

She shrugged. It didn't matter now. Tyler Lockwood was as good as dead to her after what he just did.

"Care, who's that guy?" He was suspicious. What if it was someone Tyler's associates had sent? What if he was from a rival group and he was trying to kidnap her for ransom or something?

"He's just the sweet guy who keeps showing up. He was the one who fixed up my knee. I said Elena did it because I didn't want Tyler to find out about him."

"You don't know him, he could be anyone. He could be dangerous."

"I don't think he is, Stefan. But he's too nice to get wrapped up in all this. I'll try to get rid of him" she said sadly.

Stefan wasn't convinced.

Nik arrived back in the room and darted over to Caroline, wrapping ice cubes in a napkin and pressing them gently to her bruises. Stefan picked up one and held it to his own lip. He watched uneasily as the strange man tended to his friend's wounds. Caroline was the best friend he had since Lexi. She used to be their other partner, years ago, but she had died in a deal that went bad. Just recently he was able to trace it back to Tyler. He had been scheming against them the whole time. Stefan was angry that Tyler had struck again, but he was relieved that Caroline was alive, and he knew that it would all be over soon. They just had to make the phone call to let this 'Emily' woman know it was time and she would send her man in.

Caroline leaned into him as he pulled her closer to look at the bruises on her neck. Nik traced each one lightly and then carefully dabbed at them with some ice wrapped in napkins.

She shivered as the ice melted. A few drops dripped down her neck before he could wipe them away. When he saw her shiver he thought maybe she wanted some space, so he started to back away and put the ice down, but her hand rested on his. She snuggled against his side and looked up at him. She trusted him. If only she knew.

* * *

Elena woke up to feel Damon's arms wrapped tightly around her. There were pieces of a 'sexy nurse' costume strewn around the room. She must have been napping for hours, the sun looked like it was starting to set. She felt him stir next to her.

"Nurse? Did you come over to bring me more jello from the cafeteria? I think our physical therapy session went really well, but if you're looking to go again..."

She smiled and reached over for her phone to check the time.

"Damon." her voice was deadly serious.

"What is it?"

"I have eight missed calls from Caroline and Stefan. And a bunch of texts."

He scrambled over to the nightstand. "Shit. Me too. you call her, I'll call him."

He knew what Stefan went to talk to her about that morning, and hoped the calls were just about Caroline being sad about realizing she wanted to break up with him. He hoped she wasn't impulsive enough to go and do it without telling them first.

He got Stefan on the first ring. "Is she with you? Good. Is she ok? What do you mean sort of? No we're not in the penthouse, we stopped at a place that was closer to the stores. What? I'm going after him. This has gone too far. I think it's time to call that Emily person."

Elena was scrambling to get dressed. She had just gotten off the phone with Caroline and she looked worried.

"You go see her, I'm going to find Tyler."

* * *

Elena stormed into the room, and went straight to Caroline, hugging her. She looked over to see Nik. "Oh, good. you're here."

Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"Stefan, Nik is like a paramedic or something, he'll be good to take care of her- oh god your lip looks awful!"

"You should see the other guy" he joked.

Eventually things calmed down and they decided to put on a movie and order some room service. Nik and Caroline were sitting on one of the beds while Elena and Stefan sat at the two chairs at the little table in the room. Elena was stealing Stefan's fries and joking with him as he rested a cold beer bottle against his swollen lip. A plate of food rested on Nik's lap and he alternated between trying to feed Caroline a burger and checking on her bruises. He was joking with them all, telling a funny story about the worst bruise he ever got, trying to make her feel less self couscous about the purple-red marks all over her neck and face. Even Stefan was laughing, and he wasn't glaring at the newcomer anymore.

There was a knock and Stefan answered the door. Damon walked in.

"Well he's gone. He's not in the room, but his stuff is still there so we know he'll be back." he turned to Caroline. "How you feeling, Barbie?" but before she could answer he noticed the man sitting next to her. "Uh, who the fuck is this?"

"Damon, meet Nik. He's a friend and he's been helping me out a lot today. Be nice."

"I'm always nice" he said to her sweetly, then he turned to Nik "So you just happened to show up when our little Barbie was in need? A new friend, is that it?" His tone was accusing. He didn't think this guy showing up was a coincidence.

"I met her yesterday, My room is down the hall, I heard her come into the room today and she sounded upset, so I went to check on her." he replied calmly.

"Right." Damon replied, clearly suspicious, but he turned his attention to his girlfriend and brother.

"Shit, Stefan, thats one nasty fat lip."

"It's my battle wound, brother, all in the name of defending our sweet Caroline's honor or whatever."

"Yeah, Stefan's in one fist fight and now he's a war hero." Elena joked.

"There's gonna be another war if you keep eating all my fries" he retorted. he turned to Damon. "So I'm not the only single one in our little group anymore."

"Are you referring to the lovesick puppy making eyes at Caroline, because he is so not in the group."

"No, you idiot. Caroline dumped Tyler."

Damon gave her an impressed look. "Well done, Caroline."

She smiled a little. "It did result in this" she replied, motioning to her face.

He gave her a soft look. "Never mind that. We're celebrating tonight. Caroline is a free woman!"

"I'm not going out looking like this" she replied. How embarrassing. She didn't want to step foot in public again until the bruises were gone.

"Then we'll party in here. You can even invite your new friend to join, if you're not sick of him already. Obviously, our business partner is not invited to this party."

Caroline smiled.

* * *

A few hours and bottles of champagne later and Caroline was dancing on one of the beds along with Elena and Katherine. Katherine's boyfriend stood there awkwardly trying to make conversation with Damon, who looked bored by him.

Nik was surprised by how easily he got along with Stefan. They actually had a lot in common. He used the identity he had constructed, using half truths and little bits of his real life. It was easier than going with a full out lie and it was more genuine. It turns out they both spent part of their childhoods in Mystic Falls, Virginia, although Nik had only been there a year before moving back to England. They followed the same sports teams and liked the same brand of scotch. Damon came over to join them after Katherine's boyfriend had to leave to take a call.

"Well that one won't last much longer. I've had more interesting conversations with coma patients."

"It's a good thing Elena doesn't tire of men as quickly as her sister" Stefan retorted.

"Like anyone could ever be tired of me" Damon boasted.

Katherine pulled the other girls into the bathroom. Damon motioned to them walk by as Stefan poured each or the men another glass. "Why do they always insist on doing that?"

With the door shut behind them, Katherine flipped on the hair dryer to muffle their voices.

"Elena and I already discussed it and we've decided that you should totally get with Nik tonight."

"Elena!" Caroline objected.

"Twin thing" she shrugged. She and Katherine could have full conversations just with looks and facial expressions.

"You're single, he's hot, he totally played doctor for you twice already, and you know getting laid is the best way to get over your asshole ex."

"Not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Have some fun, Caroline" Elena suggested.

"Do you need a condom? I have one in here somewhere." Katherine was going through her purse.

"No! I do not. Ugh! You two are a bad influence. Theres no way I'm doing that. Nothing is going to happen." Caroline walked out of the bathroom.

The twins weren't convinced. They decided to at least give her the window of opportunity.

* * *

Elena picked up the last full bottle of champagne. "Hey, Nik Can you help me open this?"

He went over to help her and Katherine stole his seat with the boys.

"Stefan, what's that in your cup?" She leaned seductively over him and grabbed his glass to take a sip. Elena could get Damon out of the room, but she was in charge of Stefan. She did have fun that time in Rio, she wouldn't mind another night with him. Stefan just rolled his eyes.

"Katherine, I can pour you your own glass."

"But it's more fun drinking from yours" she purred. He ignored her and grabbed another cup. She would have to change her strategy.

Elena had pulled Damon from his chair to dance with her and she was drinking straight from the bottle. Klaus watched the two of them dance with a faint smile. These people were criminals like him, yet their lives seemed more normal, happier. They had been together for several years, yet they still had fire and lust. Elena whispered something in Damon's ears that made his eyes open wide with shock. He searched through his pockets for their hotel key, anxious to get back to the room.

Damon handed Nik the bottle and watched Elena dart across the room to say goodnight to the others. Damon pointed over to Elena.

"That girl is a tornado, but I love her."

"You're a lucky man." Nik replied. It was true, he hated to admit it, but he wished he could rearrange his life so he could have something like what the two of them shared. He looked across the room at Caroline. She was laughing and joking with Stefan and Katherine. She was so beautiful. Haunted by the life she lived, so close to such dangerous people, yet she still had a sweetness to her that was so out of place in the world they both traveled in.

Damon glanced over at the others. He was well aware of how Nik was looking at Caroline. "Listen. I should't be saying this, but I know a guy who can kill you and make it look like an accident. I don't know what your deal is, but if you do a single thing to hurt her, I will make you disappear."

Nik just looked at him, stunned. He wanted to laugh because, well he was _that guy_ Damon claimed to know, but he just nodded and watched Damon and Elena exit.

As soon as they were gone, Katherine started acting very drunk. She was stumbling around the room and slurring her words, but Nik caught her giving Caroline a wink. He sat down and watched, curious to see where she was going with that.

Katherine announced she was going back to her room.

"You can't walk all the way to the west tower by yourself. You're sloshed." Stefan protested.

She swayed a little bit as she stumbled to the door. "Watch me."

Stefan looked anxiously over to Caroline, he didn't want to leave her alone with this guy. They didn't know if they could trust him. But Katherine was going to get herself killed, she'd probably end up stumbling out in traffic or something. So he reluctantly left the room to chase after her.

* * *

The second the door closed she became very aware that the two of them were alone, and it made her incredibly nervous.

He was looking at her from his seat at the table, his feet propped up and a drink in hand. She was pacing around the room, pretending to clear up cups and bottles that were strewn around. She edged closer to him and his hand caught her wrist. He stood up, never letting go, and his other hand traced alone the bruises on her face and neck. He wanted to tell her that he would kill the man who did this to her, he was only waiting on the call, but she couldn't know who he really was.

She was looking up at him, amazed by the tenderness in his expression as his hands traced her bruises. How did someone like this find his way into her crazy life? And why did she feel like she needed to hold on to him? He made her feel safe and cherished, things she never felt with Tyler. Tyler had attacked her, after over a year of her following him around the world. This guy just met her and he was already taking better care of her.

Nik knew what she was going to do before she did it. Before she even knew she was going to do it. Her eyes gave her away. He leaned in so she wouldn't have to reach up so much and he felt her lips touch his. She was hesitant, barely brushing against him, and she immediately pulled away.

Caroline was shocked. What had she just done? She didn't mean to actually kiss him, but she felt herself doing it and couldn't stop. She was looking up at him with wide eyed shock.

He knew the polite thing to do was to excuse himself, leave the room and let the lady figure out her feeling on her own. But he had never been a polite man, and there was no way he was going to leave her here alone.

His hand was behind her neck and his lips met hers again. This time he wouldn't let her get away so easily. He kissed her again, and felt her arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. He pushed against her, kissing with more force and she responded by pulling his lower lip into her mouth and gently sucking on it. His tongue traced along her lips and she let him in, playfully battling him with hers.

He felt her hands slip under his shirt as she pulled it off. _If you insist, sweetheart_.

Her hands raked against his skin and he was desperate to feel her flesh pressed against his. He hastily pulled her shirt off and ran his hands down her back, pulling her closer. Their kisses were getting rougher and more urgent as he felt her shaking hands go for the button of his jeans. He had hers off in an instant and he pulled her a few steps away from the pile of discarded clothes they were standing in.

Her eyes met his, their expression unreadable. Was she afraid? nervous? lustful? _Please let it be the last one_.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

She nodded yes, biting her lip.

He kissed down her neck as his hand traveled down her body, caressing over the fabric of her underwear. She let out a surprised gasp when she felt his other hand unhook her bra, and she let it drop the the floor. His kisses were trailing back up her neck, close to her ear. He moved his mouth over the edge of her jaw and found her lips again.

His hands roamed all over her body, needing to know every inch of her. She had the softest skin he had ever felt. When his hand moved across her chest he could feel her heart beating fast. _Please don't be afraid, _he thought,_ it would break my heart if you were afraid of me. _

"Tell me to stop, and I'll stop" he whispered.

He kissed along her neck again, sure she would soon come to her senses and tell him to stop. But she didn't. She moved closer and ran her hands through his hair.

A finger hooked under the elastic of her underwear and was sliding towards her core. His hand maneuvered around the elastic as two fingers pushed into her and his thumb made contact with her most sensitive spot, moving in light circles.

"Don't stop. Please, don't stop."

She was shaking and letting out soft little noises. He could feel himself strain against her. She must have felt it too, because she was pulling at his boxer briefs, getting rid of them so she could wrap her hand around him. It felt like heaven, but he couldn't wait to get something else of hers wrapped around him.

He pushed her back onto the bed and saw the moment of self consciousness as she tried to cover up a bit by crossing her arms across her chest.

"Don't do that" he said, pulling her arms away "You're so beautiful" kissing down her chest "I want to see you" and he was pulling the last remaining scrap of fabric off of her.

She arched her back and let out a moan as she felt him enter her. Every move he made was making her body react in the best ways. She met each of his moves with her own, and locked her eyes on his. He was shocked by what she was doing to him, no one made him feel this good. He felt his mouth hang open as she bucked into him sending waves of pleasure thought his body. He couldn't hold out much longer.

She was gripping on to him harder, and letting out shallow little breaths. He moved faster and pressed harder into her until she was screaming out his name. Just a few more thrusts and he exploded with pleasure, holding on to her for dear life because nothing could be better than her in that moment.

"Wow" she whispered as their bodies parted and she curled along his side.

"I completely agree" he murmured back, already starting to drift off to sleep.

He felt her breathing even out as she fell asleep at his side. This was usually the part where he slipped out, never to be seen or heard from again, but he wanted nothing more than to stay in that bed with her as long as possible. Visions of a naked breakfast in bed with her were the last things to cross his mind before he fell into a deep sleep.

The room was dark and silent except for the sounds of their breathing and the hum of the air conditioner. The clock on the night stand blinked 4:12 a.m. A sharp noise rang out and woke him. He looked over to her, and she didn't stir. He pulled away from her to reach his phone before it woke her up.

He carefully slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom to answer it. It was Emily.

"Clear." it was his signal to her that she could talk freely, that no one was listening in.

"I got the Call from D.S. The L. job is a go. He'll arrive in the penthouse alone at eleven a.m. today. The door will be left unlocked at 10:15."

"I'm on it." he snipped, and hung up.

He found the notepad on the dresser and left a message for her. He wanted to stay and be there when she woke up, but there was a lot to prepare and only a few hours left.


	5. Chapter 5

Damon looked at the clock. It was almost ten. Time to get out of the room and make sure all of them were seen in public as much as possible for the next few hours. Hiring a hit man wasn't just about getting someone who knew how to kill. It was about getting someone unrelated to do the job so all the usually suspects could have airtight alibis.

He watched Stefan lead Elena out of the room and paused behind them, slipping tape over the lock once they turned the corner. He called Katherine to meet them at the restaurant, she needed to be there too, otherwise anyone could accuse Elena of being the one to kill Tyler by suggesting that Katherine had been in her place at brunch.

They knocked on Caroline's door on the way down.

Damon strolled in while Caroline looked for shoes and her purse.

"Where's Nik?" he asked. Caroline had answered the door wrapped in a sheet and they all could see her clothes scattered across the floor. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had gone down.

"He had to leave in the middle of the night for a work emergency. Or so he said in the note." she shrugged, looking a little upset.

Damon raised an eyebrow. _The guy had been acting head over heals for her, and he didn't even have the decency to spend the night? What a sleaze._ He reached over to her nightstand and read the note.

"It also says he wants to take you to dinner tonight. Maybe he really did have a work emergency."

"Yeah" she looked down, embarrassed by how upset she was that he had left "I guess we'll see if he actually shows up at 7 like the note says. This might have just been a one time thing."

_And by then Tyler Lockwood will be dead_, Damon thought, smiling. "Well if he doesn't show up, he's the stupidest person alive. Now put some pants on, and let's get some breakfast, Barbie, I'm starving."

She pulled on the first thing she could grab and slapped some foundation on. Damon was already stomping his foot outside the bathroom door. He was so impatient sometimes. She fussed with her makeup again, hoping the bruises weren't visible, and followed him out the door.

* * *

Nik put his gloves on, opened the door and removed the tape that kept it from locking. He surveyed the place and set up his equipment. The syringe, the trunk on the luggage rack, gun, keys, disinfectant.

He pulled the luggage rack into Tyler's bedroom. Damon had placed a small piece of tape on the suitcases that belonged to Tyler and removed any evidence of their their 'pharmaceutical' business from the room. Other than that, it was easy for Nik to decipher which things were Tyler's and which were Caroline's. He threw all of Tyler's belongings into the correct suitcases and waited.

"Damon? This better be good. After the little stunt Stefan pulled yesterday, I'm not in the mood." Tyler shouted out as he entered the room.

The needle met Tyler's neck before he even knew Nik was there. He caught him before he hit the floor and pushed him into the trunk, stacking all of Tyler's bags on top. A quick swipe of bleach and disinfectant around the room to remove any chance of tracing him back there, and he was out the door.

Tyler woke up on a boat in the middle of the ocean. His suitcases were surrounding him and there was a man he had never seen before looking back at him, bored.

"What.. Where am I?"

"Good morning sleeping beauty. Welcome to your accidental death."

"My what?"

"You were running away after that terrible thing you did to your little girlfriend, consumed by the shame of it all. But you're about to have a tragic accident on your getaway boat. The deck got slippery and you hit your head, only to fall overboard and drown."

"You bastard." Tyler tried to get up, but he was still groggy from the sedative.

"You should be thanking me. Your partners had a much more painful, drawn out death in mind for you. I talked them into this package, it ties up loose ends better. Your family will probably even have a body to bury. I'm doing you a favor."

Tyler stood up. Who was this crazy man and why was he in a scuba suit? Nik was calmly walking towards him.

"I want you to know that because of what you did to Caroline, I'm going to make sure that you're awake when you drown." Nik said with ice in his voice "Do you know what it feels like to drown? It's kind of like being strangled, like someone's hand squeezing around your neck."

Tyler was stunned. How did he know? But then he felt his head connect with the side of the boat and he felt himself being dragged under the water.

Nik worked quickly, pulling Tyler down. He picked this spot because of the reef. There were loose chunks of coral and stones. Tyler was still struggling when Nik rolled a piece of it over his foot and snagged another on the back of his shirt. It would look like Tyler got stuck after he fell. It would also give Nik more time to get away from the scene than if the body was floating.

He watched, waited, and saw the life leave Tyler's body. He stayed down there for another five minutes just to be certain. It was done. He pushed a button on his watch and swam west.

After a few minutes he saw the bottom of the boat and surfaced, pulling off his mask. Bonnie was helping him up into the boat.

"Thanks" he muttered and handed her the watch with the tracking device. She looped it around the steering wheel as he pulled off his suit and reached for a towel.

"I'm texting Em to let her know I got you. Call her once you're back in the room and ready to check out."

"Actually, I don't have anything scheduled for a while. I think I might just stay a little longer."

"Is that a good idea?"

"It's less suspicious than checking out immediately after someone dies." he shrugged.

She pointed him to the dry clothes she brought. Bonnie wasn't a killer, but she did pretty much everything else to help out her cousin Emily and her associates. They sat in silence as they made their way back to the shore. She pulled up to the dock and let him out.

"See ya, Nik."

"Not even staying for a celebratory drink?" he mocked offense.

"I've got another job in two days and it'll take that long to get there. Take care of yourself, Nik."

He waved goodbye and headed back to his room for a much needed shower and a phone call to the boss.

* * *

Breakfast, or Brunch, or whatever it was had taken forever. Damon just kept ordering more and more food. She wanted to go back to the room and sleep but he insisted on taking them all out shopping.

"What's the fun of being on a luxury resort near great shopping if I can't spoil my three favorite girls?"

"I made the favorite's list, Damon?" Katherine joked.

"You may have tore my poor little brother's heart out but you're still Elena's sister, and a loved one of Elena's is a loved one of mine."

"Damon you don't have to do this.." Caroline protested.

"Of course I do. Stefan paid for everyone's food, and I'm not about to let my little brother show me up. Besides, don't you have a date tonight? I think new man, new outfit."

Elena looked up at him, amused. "You hate shopping. Who are you and what have you done with Damon?

It was five thirty by they time they said goodbye to Katherine and got back to the penthouse. Caroline was in a rush to get ready. When they stepped inside she suddenly felt what had happened before flash back to her. His fist meeting her face. His hands around her neck.

Stefan walked with her to the room she shared with Tyler. "I'll come with you and make sure he's not here. If he came back to the room, I'll make him leave until we can get you and your things down to the 5th floor room."

She nodded appreciatively. When she opened the bedroom door it looked different. The pile of laundry and open suitcase he had left in the corner were gone and so were his things that usually littered the top of the dresser.

"Stefan." She carefully walked around the room, opening drawers. All of his things were gone. She went into the bathroom, and his things were gone from there as well.

Stefan called the others into the room, and then he and Damon performed their carefully practiced lines.

"He's probably mad we took your side after what happened."

"Look, Care, we know he hurt you, but he's still our business partner."

"He's probably just letting off steam for a few days. We'll figure everything out when he gets back, make sure things aren't too awkward between the two of you."

Elena wasn't so calm. "You guys, he could have just moved to another room. We don't know where he is. What if he tries to hurt her again?"

"Elena's right" Stefan agreed "We should keep Caroline in the 5th floor room for now, just to be safe. He doesn't have a key there. And we'll all keep an eye on you."

Caroline hugged her friend and went to go get ready for her date. Elena went on the balcony to get some sun.

"She called a few hours ago. Emily. It's done." Damon whispered to Stefan.

He paused for a moment, absorbing the information. "Good." Stefan agreed.

* * *

Nik felt invigorated, energized by the kill. It was impossible to explain the rush he got from it without seeming like a total monster. It just suited him, it felt like the work he was made to do. After he called Emily and showered he saw he still had some time before he was due to meet Caroline for dinner.

He called Becca. Hearing his sister's voice helped bring him back to his humanity.

"Hey Nik, I'm walking to my last final as we speak. After today, I'll be done with freshman year."

"My sister, the college sophomore."

"Wait another day and then you can call me that. If I don't fail this one."

"You won't, Becca. You're the smartest person I know."

"Don't tell Elijah you said that"

"If I remember correctly, Elijah wasn't the one with the perfect SAT scores"

"I had three brilliant older brothers to help me study."

"I miss you, Becca."

"I miss you too, Nik. Where are you?"

"Work"

"Oh. Gross." Becca laughed. She knew what he did for work and worried about him, but she kept a light attitude about it.

"I don't mean I have _work_ in front of me at the moment. I'm on a location for a job."

"Ok well be careful Nik, I.. oh, crap. Nik I have another call I need to take before I go in to the test. Talk to you later?"

They said their goodbyes and he hung up, smiling as he got ready to see Caroline.

"Stefan!" she beamed.

"Hey, Rebecca. I'm glad I caught you in time. I wanted to wish you luck before your last final."

"That's so sweet of you. I'm just about to walk in now."

"Great. Hey weird question. You said you already sent most of your stuff from your dorm to your brother's house, right?"

"That is a weird question, but yes. I've only got the two suitcases I can lug on the subway left with me, everything else went to Elijah's yesterday."

"Perfect. I have a surprise for you. Do you want me to tell you now or wait until after the test?"

"Now! Tell me now!"

"I just sent you a ticket to come see me in the resort I'm staying at in the Caribbean. When you check your email there'll be a plane ticket leaving late tonight and a voucher for a return flight whichever day you want it. I don't want you to feel weird about anything, so you can stay in one of the extra bedrooms in the penthouse or if you want I can get you your own separate room. I don't expect you have bathing suits or beach stuff with you so obviously all that is my treat once you get here, along with anything else you want. I'll be at the airport to pick you up. Just please say you'll go."

Rebecca felt like she was going to drop dead from the shock. "Are you serious? I've been missing you like crazy. I'm there."

"See you soon, then."

* * *

6:58. He would let himself be two minutes early. That wasn't too desperate. He was just being punctual.

He put a bow on the first aid kit sitting on his bed and walked out of the room. Her door was just down the hall, only seconds away. He knocked. No answer. He had resisted the urge to listen in on her room, and had shut the program down on his computer. He wondered if she was angry that he left when she was sleeping, or if she made other plans for the night. He didn't even have her phone number.

He knocked again. Still no answer. He waited for a minute, hoping that she would open the door, but she didn't. He turned around, feeling foolish for assuming she would want to go to dinner with him anyway.

Caroline stepped out of the elevator in her new black lace dress, lips blood red and electric blue heels clicking along as she walked. It was 7 exactly.

She walked down the hall and saw him standing at the door to her room, holding something. He must have already knocked, because he turned around, looking crushed. Then his eye caught her walking down the hall and he ran to her.

"Caroline!" he reached her and wanted to go in for a kiss, but he hesitated too long and missed his window. He was kicking himself for not doing it when the time was right.

"I'm so sorry I left. I had a work emergency. Here, I got you something."

She looked amused by the first aid kit he handed her with the big red bow. "Because I'm always getting hurt?"

He smiled "Open it"

Inside there were bandages, gauze, antiseptic, and something else. A little blue box. She pulled it out and looked at him, genuinely surprised. Inside the box was a beautiful bracelet, diamond hearts linking together to form a chain.

"Nik.. I don't understand."

"You don't like it." He looked down.

"I do like it. It's beautiful. I just don't understand why you're giving it to me."

"I fancy you."

She looked back it him, startled.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes."

"Why? You're strong, beautiful, full of light."

"How can you say that? You don't even know me. Two days ago I had a boyfriend and I was telling you to piss off. Yesterday I was a crying mess because he attacked me and you were taking care of me like I deserved you to be nice to me. I didn't. I wasn't nice to you. And then last night we. uh. well you were there, you know what happened."

He looked confused. Weren't women supposed to like lavish gifts?

"You do deserve me being nice to you. You deserve more than that. I like you, I enjoyed last night, and I felt awful that I had to leave unexpectedly. Thats why I got you the bracelet."

Tyler was always buying her things. Pretty, shiny, expensive things. "Sorry I didn't come home last night" flowers. "Please look pretty and shut your mouth when this client comes over" necklace. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that" shoes. "I know you're uncomfortable with this job but I'm going to make you do it anyway" purse. He had hit her only once before, and she was able to convince herself that it was just an accident. But he bought her a car the next day. Seeing the car in the driveway hurt more than the punch. It hurt because it reminded her what she tolerated, endured, in exchange for nice things.

What was the title of this bracelet? Was it in exchange for sex? Was it to make her feel obliged to do something? Was it an apology gift, not an "apology and i really like you" gift like he said it was?

"I can't take this." she handed the bracelet back to him. She took a step back.

"Caroline please. I didn't mean..."

"YOU CAN'T BUY ME!" She screamed. "I don't want to do whatever this is in exchange for."

"You're making assumptions."

"No. I know how this game is played."

He could see it all on her face. It became very clear to him what kind of man Tyler Lockwood was in his relationships. He was very glad Tyler was at the bottom of the ocean, and he hoped some fish would chew out his eyeballs before anyone found his body.

"Ok. I get it. come with me." he pulled her by the hand down the hall and unlocked his room. "Sit" he pointed at the bed.

She sat and wondered if it was a bad idea to come in there. He seemed calm, but what did she really know about him? The room had a stack of hard metal boxes with big locks on them. What was in there? He rummaged through his suitcase and pulled out a blue t-shirt. She watched him put it on the bathroom counter and pull out a knife. Why did he have a knife? He carefully cut three long strips from the fabric of the shirt. He made a knot to hold the three strips together and held it in his teeth while he made a braid (thank Becca for forcing him to do her hair when she was little). He tied a knot at the other end.

He sat down on the bed with her and threw the expensive bracelet into his suitcase.

"If you ever want that one, you can have it. It'll be right there. But for now..." he held up the haphazard looking braid from the fabric. "I'd like to give you one absolutely worthless bracelet, redeemable at exactly zero dollars and in exchange for precisely nothing."

She let him put it around her wrist. "Thank you." She looked down at the cloth around her wrist and touched it, tracing the pattern.

He was stunned. She seemed genuinely happy with the silly little braid. Happier than the bracelet that cost several thousand dollars. He didn't expect that from her.

"Can we still go out to dinner?" He asked hesitantly.

"Nowhere fancy."

"I know just the place."

They took a cab off the resort and weaved into a part of town she hadn't seen before. This was the opposite direction of the fancy shops Damon had taken them to. they pulled up in front of a dilapidated wooden shack with a neon light in the window advertising several brands of beer.

"Here we are love, nowhere fancy."

Every other patron in the little restaurant was male. Most of the looked like old fishermen and local blue collar guys. There was a sports game blasting from a staticy tv over the bar and a dingy pool table and dart board sat off to the side.

Caroline was instantly aware of all the eyes on her. She tried to pull her dress down a little, but that didn't change the fact that she felt like ten different people were undressing her in their minds. Nik put a protective arm around her as the walked over to their table. He had a mischievous smile as they sat down.

"Why are you grinning like that"

"I've never had this many people envy me all at once."

"I'm sure thats not true" she blushed.

They flipped through the stained menus and decided to share a huge pile of buffalo wings. Extra spicy, at her insistence.

She had wing sauce all over her face from the first bite. He couldn't believe how much that tiny little girl could eat. They were joking and swapping stories about their lives.

"And that's why my high school prom was the most night of my life."

"At least you got a great story out of it"

"What about you? Embarrassing prom story?"

"I didn't go." he said quietly. "I worked a lot in high school, I didn't really do social things."

"You didn't do social things? My whole life was social things, planning parties and events. What did you do for fun?"

"I liked to draw, and paint. I had the most fun when I was visiting with my siblings."

"You didn't live with them?"

"Not in high school. Our parents died right after Elijah went away to school, and one aunt took care of me while another took Rebecca and Kol."

"You said you were one of six kids."

"Yes, the youngest, Henrick, died with my parents in the fire." It was as close to the truth he could get without telling her too much. "Finn left when he turned 18 and I don't know where he is. He never came back."

She reached across the table. He had bandaged her up this week, but she wondered if she could ever patch up the wounds she could see in him. "I'm sorry you lost so many people."

He gave her a weak smile. "I'm very .. protective of the family I have left. Losing a lot of people made me realize how important it is to hold on to the ones you care about."

"Nik is a pretty modern name compared to the rest of your family"

"Actually, it's short for Niklaus. A lot of people used to call me Klaus. Elijah still does sometimes. Isn't that terrible, the name makes me sound like I'm a thousand years old."

"Not terrible at all. I think it's's nice. But I still prefer Nik."

His phone beeped. "Speak of the Devil, that's Becca calling me now. Do you mind if I step out for a moment? I just want to make sure she's alright and I'll call her back later."

She waved him away and he stepped outside to hear the phone.

"Becca? I can only talk for a moment. Did everything go well?"

Becca was excited about her final, she thought it went really well. She told Nik the same lie she had told Elijah and Kol, that she wasn't going straight to Elijah's house because she was staying with her roommates' family. It was a harmless lie. Her brothers worried about her too much.

The waitress placed a beer in front of Caroline.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't order anything."

"It's from the guy at the bar, over there." the waitress motioned.

She felt uneasy and wished Nik hadn't just walked away. The man was coming over.

When Nik walked back in he saw some drunk in an argument with Caroline.

"I don't want to talk to you so just leave me alone."

"I bought you the drink, just be nice and talk to me for a few minutes." he reached out and pulled on her arm.

"Let go" she yelped, but he pulled on her harder.

"Don't be such a bitch about it, I'm just trying to be friendly."

Nik gave her a nod and stepped in front of the man. "She asked you to let go. I think it's time for you to leave."

"Pretty sure I don't care"

The man made a fist and swung but Nik grabbed his arm before his hand could make contact, pinning it behind the man and slamming his head into the table. It was all done at an impossibly fast speed and with precision that indicated he had done this before.

Caroline looked over to him and was stunned by the cold rage in his eyes as he looked down at the unconscious person on the floor. He blinked and looked over to her, his eyes back to normal.

A few men were slowly getting out of their chairs, nodding to each other as they started to walk towards Nik.

"Can you hand that to me, love?" he was motioning towards the check on the table. When her back was turned, he lifted the hem of his shirt so they could all see the gun tucked in his waistband. The men approaching him backed away.

He threw some bills on the table and pulled her close. "Time for us to leave, sweetheart."

* * *

They stopped on the way back to the rooms to sit on the beach.

"How did you do that?"

"What?"

"When that guy tried to hit you, you went all Jason Bourne on him."

"Oh. I uh, I spent some time in the military."

"They teach that in the military?"

"Well I don't know about you Americans, but we Brits do learn all that basics."

She laughed.

"Get up. I'll teach you."

"I'm not going to be able to do that"

"Time to learn, sweetheart. You seem to be a magnet for danger, and I'm not going to let you walk around not knowing how to defend yourself."

He was in front of her. "Ok, just grab my wrist and twist .. no other way. Good. See, now I can't move it. Now what if I. ." He gently pulled on her other arm, spinning her so he was behind her, locking an arm across her shoulders to pull her tight.

"I can't escape" she giggled

"Try"

She pulled at his arm but it wouldn't budge. She tired the wrist thing he taught her but it didn't work very well in this position. She gently poked an elbow at the side of his stomach.

"Like that?"

"That would probably hurt enough for someone to let go, but there's a better way."

She paused, stumped, but she didn't want to let him win. Time to change the game. She used the limited movement she had in her arms to run her hands up and down the sides of his body and started placing little kisses along the part of his arm she could reach.

He sighed and when she felt his grip loosen she spun around and caught his lips with hers. His hands found her back pockets, pulling her into him. He squeezed her ass as he kissed her back.

"You know, that move won't work on every attacker."

"I guess I'll have to keep you around to protect me until I learn."

"You can keep me around as long as you want."


	6. Chapter 6

Nik leaned against the wall and watched Caroline dance with Elena. The strobe lights flashed and the bass from the music made the liquid in his glass ripple. Her hips swiveled and her hand ran through her hair with her neck tilted back, the light picking up a sheen of sweat as she twirled around in the hot crowd.

She looked over to him and smiled. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. He didn't tear his eyes away from her until she turned away to face Elena again. He glanced up at the glass staircase, waiting to see the Salvatore brothers come back downstairs. They thought they were so smart, slipping away and leaving him with the girls while they made their deal. As if he didn't know exactly what they were doing.

Damon and Stefan were begrudgingly letting this Nik guy tag along with Caroline when they all went out to Heartbeat that night. They had some business stuff to get to, but this wasn't one of the clients who liked having eye candy around while they made a transaction, so they just reminded Elena and Caroline a few thousand times that they had to be out of sight and take Nik with them when it was time for them to meet the client in the 3rd floor VIP section.

After the deal was done the two brother ventured back down to the first floor to join Nik and the girls for drinks. Damon eyed the new guy warily, and made sure to stand between him and Elena at all times. Stefan had loosened up and started being friendly with Caroline's new boy, but Damon thought he was creepy and still had suspicions about him. He saw the way his hands were all over Caroline, _their_ Caroline. It made his blood boil to see this relative stranger slipping his hand up the back of her shirt, running his thumb along the strip of skin that showed between her shirt and skirt, kissing her bare shoulder, smirking as he whispered in her ear. She was falling for it, looking back at him with doe eyes, smiling at everything he said. If she thought she could just bring this strange man into their tight knit group she had another thing coming. How much longer was she going to keep this up? He was fine with her sleeping with whoever she wanted, but turning it into a relationship was out of the question. They couldn't risk this guy finding out what they did for work. Stefan might allow it, but Damon was ready to put his foot down.

Nik was buying a round of drinks for everyone. "Stefan, what're you having?"

"Nothing for me, thanks, I have to drive out the the airport in a half hour. I have a guest coming to stay with us."

Damon raised his eyebrows. Elena looked to Caroline for an explanation.

"A girl." Stefan added.

Everyone gave him a confused look except Caroline, who looked elated.

"Oh. My. God. Ohmygod. Did you? "

Stefan grinned sheepishly.

Caroline squealed and nearly knocked Damon over running to jump on Stefan for a bear hug. "This is the cutest thing ever! I'm so excited! I can't wait to meet her!"

Stefan was blushing while the others waited for an explanation. "I. Uh. I've been talking to this girl for a while now and I really like her. Caroline kinda gave me the idea to invite her here to stay with us for a while. You guys will be nice to her, right? She's important to me."

"I'm always nice" Damon feigned.

"Yeah, and I remember you being a little too nice to my prom date."

"That was B.E., before Elena. I'm a different person now."

Stefan was fidgeting. "You know what? I can't wait here any more. I'll just go now. In case she gets there early."

They watched him practically run out of the club to get to the airport.

"You didn't tell me?" Elena asked.

Caroline smiled. "He wanted me to keep it secret until now."

"Yeah, but you could have told me!"

"Then it would't be a secret."

Nik pulled her closer, planting a kiss on her forehead. He could never tell her his secret, but somehow knowing that she could keep one made him like her even more anyway.

They parted ways, Damon and Elena heading up to the penthouse and Caroline and Nik going back to the 5th floor.

* * *

When they got back to her room, she poured herself a glass of water and leaned against the bathroom counter.

"Now that looks familiar" he was slowly walking towards her.

"Oh?" she smiled, setting her glass down. "I remember this being the spot where a very persistent guy bandaged me up."

"Well as much as I enjoy bandaging you up, lets try to go a full day without you getting injured, shall we?

"And how are we going to do that?"

"Hmm, I think you'll just have to stay right here where I can keep an eye on you"

He was standing in front of her, gently pressing her against the countertop. She pulled him closer and he brought his lips down to meet hers.

She pushed herself against him and deepened the kiss, moving to cover one of his lips and then the other before letting his tongue find hers. His hands slid under her shirt and pulled it off, and he trailed kisses all over her as he ran his hands along her stomach, inching up.

He turned her around so he stood behind her, both of them facing the bathroom counter and the mirror that stretched out behind it. He was in control, there wasn't much she could do to him from this position, but his hands could reach all over her. Frustrated that she couldn't run her hands all over him or kiss him, Caroline swiveled her hips, grinding figure eight shapes like she did when she caught him watching her dance at the club, only this time she was pushing right on to him.

He kept looking in the mirror, watching her expressions and seeing himself run his hands all over her. The move she was doing with her hips was positively evil it felt so good. He could feel himself getting harder and her smiling with satisfaction as she felt what she was doing to him.

He pulled the rest of her clothes off, piece by piece, watching her squirm and bite her lip as he pealed each piece away from behind her. He drew a hand across her thigh and grazed lightly as he worked his way up to find the heat between her legs. She let out a surprised noise, but moaned in appreciation and pushed her ass against him harder. He kissed her neck and looked into the mirror, enjoying the sight of her expressions and himself causing them.

She couldn't take it anymore. She pulled herself around and kissed him hard, breaking only so she could hastily take off the clothes he still had on. She needed more of him and right away.

He scooped her up so she was sitting on the counter. Just like on that first night when he bandaged her knee. Only now he would be able to actually do what he had only fantasized about that night. He pulled her so she was on the edge and positioned her legs around him.

Her mouth found his as he slid into her, and she nipped at his lower lip as he pushed farther into her.

"Nik, more, please."

What had started out slow and romantic was quickly becoming fast and rough. He slammed into her with a force that knocked her back towards the mirror and as she pushed back she slid down the side of the counter. She felt herself slip into the sink and tried to steady herself by grabbing the faucet but she ended up turning it on, feeling the cool water splash against her. He pulled her out of the sink and propped her against the wall instead. As he lifted her, she grabbed handfuls of the water and dripped it over his shoulders, making him shiver as the cool droplets ran down his chest and back.

She locked her legs around him and held on tight as he had her pressed against the wall. He wouldn't drop her. They were pressed close together as she ground into him, feeling the tension build inside of her. He was the only thing she could hold on to for support as she felt herself getting closer.. closer..

"I can't hold on much longer" he growled.

He didn't need to. She was at the edge, and once he saw her start to shake he let himself join her.

"I'm about to... oh god... Nik!" She felt herself go over the edge as she said his name and he followed her.

* * *

Caroline woke up to a pair of eyes looking back at her.

"Thats creepy, you know, watching someone sleep."

"My apologies, sweetheart, I couldn't help it. You look so beautiful when you're sleeping."

She scoffed and shook her head. "You need to cut that stuff out."

"What stuff?"

"All the sweethearts and romantic comments. It's too much. You're going to spoil me for any other guy because no one else talks like that and I'm going to end up getting used to it."

"Thats the idea, love."

"What, that I won't be happy with any other guy once you're gone?"

"No, that you won't want any other guy, because I have no plans for going anywhere without you."

He meant it. He didn't know what was happening, but he wanted to find a way to be with this girl. He barely knew her, but she was already the most important romantic relationship he had ever had. He was going to find a way to keep her.

"There you go again, saying those things. You're going to break my heart if you keep this up. You know this can't really go anywhere."

"I don't want to pretend this is some casual thing, Caroline. I know it's fast, but I want to be with you. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Nik, you don't want to get involved with me, with us. We're always traveling. And I tried to tell you before, we're not good people. It isn't fair to you."

"I don't care. I want to find a way. I don't want a life without you in it." He said. Emily was going to kill him for this. She would know, and she would worry what it would mean for his cover, for their profits. It was all worth it, though. He had lived through hell growing up with Mikael, getting involved in the business of killing way too young. He never got a chance to be in love. She was someone he could see himself falling in love with. He couldn't just walk away.

They lied on their sides, facing each other. She looked worried, but she nodded yes. She would give it a chance, even though it scared her. He pulled her closer and rested his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat.

Her phone buzzed and she begrudgingly checked the text.

"I'm going upstairs to see Elena, she said she needed to talk to me about something important."

"Alright, love, I need to make some phone calls for work, want to go to the pool after?"

"Yeah, don't forget we're meeting up with the others for dinner. Stefan wants us all to meet his girl."

"Sounds good." he opened the door as they both walked out of the room. "Try not to get into any trouble today."

* * *

Elena looked worried when she opened the door. There was a police officer in the room. Damon was sitting next to him. It was clear by their body language that he wasn't there to arrest them, but Caroline still felt nervous. She may have grown up with a local sheriff for a mother, but that wouldn't save her if anyone busted their group for all the drugs they moved.

"You're Caroline Forbes?" The officer asked.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but we have bad news regarding Tyler Lockwood."

"Oh." she replied, keeping her tone even.

"There appears to have been an accident."

"An accident?"

"We found a boat that had been rented out to one Tyler Lockwood floating a few miles off shore. It was full of suitcases of clothing and personal effects that Mr. Salvatore had just identified as Mr. Lockwood's property. It appeared abandoned, and there was a bloodstain on the side of the boat that indicated that Mr. Lockwood had probably slipped, hit his head and fallen overboard."

Her mouth hung open. She knew Tyler had left, but she hadn't expected this.

"We haven't found a body yet, but the blood indicates he fell over yesterday around noon, and he was most likely knocked unconscious by such a fall, so if he wasn't found by another boat, it is unlikely he survived."

"Wow." She sat down and stared off into space.

"Mr. Salvatore and Ms. Gilbert informed me that you were with them at the cafe in the south tower during this time period, along with your companion the other Mr. Salvatore and Ms. Gilbert's twin sister, who seems to have already checked out this morning. Obviously, this appears to be an unfortunate accident, we have no reason to suspect foul play, but we need to confirm your location at the time just to cover all the bases."

She just nodded.

"I'll be back if we have any more information, Ms. Forbes, until then, I'm sorry for your loss."

Elena and Damon immediately tried to comfort her once the cop was gone. She felt herself smiling.

"Care? Are you ok?"

"I'm great."

"Care, did you hear him? Tyler's probably dead."

"I know" she felt like she was walking on clouds. "Oh, god. Damon, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. He was your friend. I didn't mean to look so happy. I just.. I don't feel sad. I'm not sad he's gone. You don't have to cheer me up."

Elena and Damon just looked at each other, dumbfounded as Caroline practically skipped out of the room.

* * *

Nik heard a knock on the door and opened it. Caroline was on the other side wearing only a bathing suit and a smile.

"Ready to go to the pool?"

"If you're trying to get me to go outside, you're going about it in entirely the wrong way" He pulled her into the room and kissed her. His hand was pulling on the string of her top before the door even swung shut.

"Tyler's dead." she said, expressionless.

He froze and dropped his hand. His mouth started to open, trying to find the right words to comfort her without lying too much.

She broke into a huge smile. "Probably, anyway. Come on. I want to get some pool drinks to celebrate."

He scrunched his brow. "Are you alright?"

"Can I tell you a secret? And you promise to keep it?"

"Of course."

"I felt relieved when I heard he was dead. And then happy. And now, it's like I have all this extra energy. It makes me feel good. Does that make me a terrible person?"

She was like him, he thought. She didn't react to death the way people expected. "No, you can feel however you want. Now lets get you some pool drinks."

They had found some chairs and dropped their towels and clothes and waded out to the bar in the low end. He ordered drinks for them and smiled as the bartender scanned his wristband, catching Caroline looking at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention. When he looked at her he wished he had worked more jobs and saved more money, if only he had enough to take her away and keep her forever in the lifestyle she deserved.

They sipped their drinks in the pool and she playfully splashed him a few times.

"You're on dangerous ground, love." he warned, and she let out a playful squeak as he chased her around the pool, trying to catch her long enough to splash her back. He finally caught her, but their splashing quickly subsided when she spotted something off in the distance.

"That's Stefan!"

She motioned to a couple sitting on a lounge chair off to the other side of the pool. The guy was defiantly Stefan, she could tell from his tattoo. The girl was straddling him and they looked like they were in the middle of a serious makeout session that was bordering on obscene for a public place. All she could see of the girl was the her back and her pin straight blonde hair, which had Stefan's hand knotted in it.

"Oh." Nik responded, raising an eyebrow. "I guess that would be his girl."

"I'm dying to meet her. I've known Stefan for a year and he's never liked someone this much. Even all the exes he's told me about don't hold a candle to this new girl. She must be incredible."

"Yes, I'm sure she's great but they certainly don't look like they want to be interrupted right now, so perhaps we should just wait until dinner to say hello."

Stefan and the girl broke apart. They were chatting about something and Caroline could see him laughing and smiling. It made her happy to see him like that. If anyone deserved it, he did.

"Look, they're just talking now. Let's go over and say hi, the suspense is killing me."

"Why do you care so much about meeting this girl?"

"Because I love Stefan. He's a great friend. She makes him happy in a way I haven't seen before, so I want to meet her."

He smiled "Stefan is important to you."

"He taught me how to... well, lets just say my life with Tyler was pretty unconventional and Stefan helped me adapt to it."

He nodded. Of course it would have been hard for Caroline to adapt. She didn't seem like the type of girl who naturally fit in with a circle of dealers and designer drug manufacturers. And she was so worried about him being around her and the people she associated with. As if they could corrupt him or put him in harm's way.

Nik glanced over at Stefan and back at Caroline. She said she _loved_ Stefan. He had heard her say "I love you" to Elena as well. The type of friendship where you love someone was foreign to him. He was loyal to Emily, he got along well with his associates at work, but he didn't love them. Love was something he only understood when it came to him siblings. He was a little jealous of Stefan's special relationship with Caroline, and wondered if anything romantic had ever happened between them.

"You and Stefan, did you ever..."

"Nik, don't look at me like that. Nothing ever happened between Stefan and I. He's my friend. Thats it."

"Alright, lets go say hello." he conceded.

Stefan caught sight of them and waved. The girl turned around and gave a hesitant smile. Caroline walked ahead of Nik. She pulled the girl into a warm hug.

"Hi! It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Caroline, Stefan's friend."

"Rebecca" the girl smiled back, a little uneasy. She didn't warm up to new people right away, and she was a little uncomfortable with this strange girl being so friendly. As soon as she could break away from the hug, she wrapped her arms around Stefan's waist letting one hand rest on the band of his bathing suit trunks, a gesture that clearly said '_He's mine, bitch, so back off_'.

"I'm so glad you're here! How was your flight?"

"It was delayed a bit, so Stefan and I took a nap up in his room and then we just came down here and..." Rebecca stopped, looking spooked.

"Are you ok?" Caroline asked "Oh, this is my friend Ni-"

"Niklaus" Rebecca whispered, looking like she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

Caroline turned to face Nik. He looked frozen in place, shocked. The shock faded away to be replaced by fury. His hands balled into fists at his side as he glared at Stefan.

"Becca" he finally managed to speak.

Stefan looked anxious. "You two know each other." He seriously hoped Nik wasn't an ex. That would make things really messy.

"Becca, it seems you have some explaining to do."

"Nik, if I told you that I was visiting a boy you would have sent the hounds of hell out to stop me."

"After what happened in Budapest, can you blame me?"

"I'm more careful now, Nik."

"You're not as careful as you think. For a smart girl this is extremely stupid behavior."

"_You_ want to lecture _me_ on stupid behavior?"

Nik was glaring at Stefan. "What on earth are you doing bringing my baby sister out here?"

Stefan looked startled. "I didn't know..."

Caroline looked shocked "Your sister?"

Rebecca snarled at Nik "You leave him alone."

"Becca, I'm sending you back to Elijah right now."

"No, Nik. I'm staying with Stefan. I just got here."

"Out of the question Becca."

"You can't tell me who to see or where to go!"

"Of course I can. You're my sister and I'm telling you not to be here or with him. You should be focusing on school, I'm not paying for..."

"I'm an adult, Nik! I can make these decisions for myself. And just because you're paying for half of my school doesn't mean you control my life. I'm not Kol, I'm not going to waste it and drop out. And I didn't spend a cent of your _hard earned _money on this. Stefan flew me out here."

"Becca you don't even know him. If I could talk to you in private and explain some things..."

"Nik, I'm not stupid.I know from a lifetime of our family how to tell when someone isn't being forthcoming. You think you're going to shock me by revealing Stefan's real job? I don't care what it is, or how awful. And you only have yourself to blame for that, because I still love you even with what you do."

"Elijah and I have worked too hard to protect you from these kinds of things."

"I'm not leaving Nik. I'm staying with Stefan."

"Very well. Enjoy prison."

"You're a hypocrite." She retorted.

Nik stormed away. Stefan looked rattled. Rebecca sank down into a chair and put her head in her hands.

Stefan sat next to Rebecca. "Becca, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about my job. I really like you and I didn't know if you would still like me if you knew. It's not the kind of thing we can tell people when we first meet them."

She smiled "You tell me you like me because I'm smart. If you really believed I was so smart, how can you be surprised I saw straight through you? You're not a very good liar."

"You knew?"

"Stefan, I don't care. I knew you were lying about your job the whole time. I understand. You're not the only one who has to keep a secret."

"Caroline, what did you tell him about us?" Stefan asked.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything. I don't know how he knows... I don't understand."

"Becca, is your brother a cop or something?"

She snorted, amused by the notion. "No. Don't worry, he won't report you to anyone. He won't tell anyone what he knows, he was just trying to protect me."

"What does he do?" Stefan asked. This guy was clearly something other than a paramedic.

She looked at him sadly. "Don't ask me what my brother's job is, because I can't tell you. It's not my secret to tell."

Caroline excused herself and began walking back to the rooms. She wasn't going to let this go. Nik was hiding something and she needed to know what it was. She was going to find out what was in those mysterious boxes in his room if it was the last thing she did. Stefan and Tyler had taught her and Elena a few cons so the girls could do things that were low risk and where a cute girl would be more likely to get off with a warning. She knew how to break into a hotel room.

Caroline tried to see where Nik had gone. She spotted the back of his head at one of the bars, a bottle set in front of him. Good. She only needed a few minutes alone in that room.

She worked her magic and smuggled a key card to his room from the front desk, walking away just as a middle aged man lugged a few heavy bags to the front desk. The clerk handed him his card and receipt.

"There you are Mr. Smith, your room is on the 5th floor of the East tower."

"Please, call me Mikael."


	7. Chapter 7

No matter what she tried, the locks weren't budging. She sat on the floor, exhausted. She had no idea how long Nik would stay outside, he could be coming back any minute.

She turned her attention to the suitcase. Was the bracelet still in there? She dug around and found it. It really was beautiful. How could she be foolish enough to think a paramedic could afford to buy girls diamond bracelets within days of meeting them? She had been clueless to the signs.

Rebecca was right, though. It didn't matter what someone's job was or if they had to lie about it. She hadn't told him about what her group of friends did for money either. Although she had a sinking feeling he knew all about them somehow, considering the warning he was trying to give Rebecca about Stefan. Caroline decided to just leave it alone. Whatever it was in those boxes didn't change the fact that she liked him.

She reluctantly put the bracelet back in the suitcase and was ready to leave the room when her hand grazed something. She knew right away what was off about the bottom of his suitcase because Tyler had made her carry one just like it. It had a false bottom. She felt around for the spot where the latch was hidden, impossible to find by anyone who didn't know it was there, and pulled. In the tiny compartment there was only a flat manilla envelope. She pulled it out and opened it, pouring the contents onto the bed.

It was all pictures of them. Her and Elena and Stefan and Damon and Tyler. These pictures must have been taken a month ago when they were in Colombia. There was one of her and Stefan laughing, another of her eating dinner with Tyler. There were a lot of Tyler with people she didn't recognize. A red dot appeared next to Tyler's face in each of the pictures. There were little cards with notes about each of them. One had the following notes:** T.L. job - wait for call. Client: D.S.** Nik had killed Tyler. Damon had been the one to order the hit. She felt dizzy. Everything had been a lie. Nik didn't care about her. She was a job to him. He was using her to get close to Tyler. Oh, god. did Damon know who Nik was the whole time? How could he let her carry on with him without warning her. The little speech Stefan gave her about thinking she would be happier without Tyler, that was just to make it easier when they had him killed? Did Elena know too? And Nik, she had been so open with him, she felt so safe with him. She had been foolish and reckless.

She didn't want to be in that room anymore. She wanted to get as far away from Nik as possible. Her hands shook as she pushed the photos and cards back into the envelope and slid it back into its hiding place. She made sure everything was how she left it and was just about to leave when she heard the key slide into the door.

She considered hiding, but decided just to run out of the room when Nik opened the door. Attacking her in the hallway would be too risky. She told herself she would be safe if she could just get into the hallway.

The door opened, but it wasn't Nik.

The middle aged man on the other side was holding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. He seemed surprised to see her standing in the room, but he smiled.

"Well isn't this an interesting turn of events" he inched towards her. "I heard Nik was spending his time with a pretty little thing. Killing you would send a message."

"Who are you?"

"Well to begin with, I'm the last person you'll ever see. But you can call me Mikel."

"No. He said you were dead. His parents died in a fire."

"His parents are dead. Niklaus is not my son by blood. But I raised him as if he was my own. And how did he repay me? He killed my wife, his mother. He beat me within an inch of my life and left me for dead."

Caroline felt tears roll down her face. The gun was pointing at her. She was going to die and it was all for some guy she didn't even know.

"What's the matter? Your sweet little boyfriend isn't the person you thought he was? Thats too bad. Niklaus always was a disappointment."

"No. Nik wouldn't do something like that. He loves his family. He wouldn't."

"You stupid girl. Niklaus was fifteen when he killed his mother. He set her on fire. He killed his youngest brother. Almost killed me too."

She just shook her head, unable to believe it.

"He's killed people on a regular basis since them. I've lost count of how many, but let's just say, Niklaus usually takes his time. I wonder what he would have planned for you. You have such a pretty face. I doubt he'd let it stay that way. I'm thinking acid, maybe?"

Caroline was backing away from him, but she had nowhere to run. She would never make it past him to run out the door.

"No. Nik would never hurt me."

She said the words but didn't believe them. Nik had said his parents died in a fire. This man was telling her that Nik was the one to set his mother on fire, and beat him, his stepfather to near death. Even if this guy wasn't telling the truth, he was here, alive. Nik had been lying to her.

His hand grazed across her neck. "I'm going to slit your throat and spill your blood over everything he owns. What do you thing will make him more upset, seeing your dead body or not having any clean shirts to wear?"

He forced her to her knees over the open suitcase. Caroline felt the blade sit against her skin as she looked down at the shirt Nik had torn strips from to make her bracelet. She wanted so much to believe that the Nik who did that for her was real, but it was all ruined.

Something happened. There was a click. The door? She hoped the maids had come to clean, giving her a chance to dart out of the room.

Nik was there. Mikael took one hand away from Caroline to point his gun at Nik, still using the other to press the knife against Caroline' neck. Nik's hand found his gun as soon as he opened the door and it was pointing back at Mikael.

"Step away from her."

"Good to see you too, Niklaus. I was just having an interesting chat with your little pet."

"You're not stronger than me anymore, old man."

"I'm still smarter than you, boy. And I seem to have some leverage. Take one step towards me and I'll kill her."

"That was the last threat you'll ever make towards me. I've been waiting years for this moment. Now I'm finally going to put you in the ground for everything you've done to our family."

"Our family? My family. You're the bastard born child that never had any place with us. No one cares about you anymore, boy. Your siblings are repulsed by what you've become, you only have their loyalty though fear. And besides them, who would even go near you? No one. You have no one."

Nik took a step towards Mikael and Caroline could feel the knife press a little harder. It was just about to break the skin.

"Your impulse, Niklaus. It is the one thing that keeps you from truly being great." Mikael smiled down at her, ready to kill her and then deal with his foolish stepson.

Nik took the opportunity to rush towards him.

The two men moved at a blurred speed. She heard a scream and felt a spray of blood hit her and the wall in front of her. Caroline put her hands to her neck. It was fine. The noise and the blood didn't come out of her. Something dropped to the ground next to her with a loud thud. The gaping wound in Mikel's neck splashed at her as his body fell to the ground, lifeless. Nik hadn't just slashed at it with a knife, he tore the flesh apart, pulling Mikael's esophagus out of his body.

Nik was standing there, looking down at her and the body. His entire hand was stained red. It was as if someone else had taken over. The cold she had seen in him when he fought with the man at dinner was nothing compared to this. He was a creature made of ice and stone, unfeeling and inhuman, living in the same skin as the Nik she thought she knew. Blood had splashed across his face. He absently licked his lips, tasting the blood on them.

He was surveying the room. It wasn't an ideal situation. There was a lot of blood and the body would have to be disposed of, but he had finally done it. Mikel was dead. He didn't know why Caroline was there, but judging from the way he found them, Mikel was only seconds away from slitting yet another throat as a warning to Nik, letting him know he could still track him.

_You managed to track me, but you couldn't kill me. Nice try, old man._

He was clicking open the boxes, thankful he had brought everything he needed for situations like this. The largest one was full of plastic bottles of acid. He pulled all the bottles out and dragged Mikel's body in, folding him, snapping and dislocating joints to make him fit. He uncapped the bottles one by one and poured them in.

Caroline watched, stunned, as the clear liquid bubbled and steamed as it melted the flesh from bone, slowly turning Mikel into something unrecognizable. Once Nik had poured it all in, he closed and locked the large box that contained what used to be Mikel. He was opening another box, pulling out garbage bags, cleaning supplies, bleach. He sprayed something around the room that made the blood stains start to lift. She was frozen in place while she watched him work meticulously.

After a few moments he seemed to come back to his senses and notice the blood covered girl sitting on the floor watching him work.

"Caroline, go take a shower." he handed her a garbage bag "Put all of your clothes in here"

She started to head towards the door to leave for her room. He wasn't Nik anymore. Maybe she could just get away, he didn't seem to even notice her in there with all of his attention focused on cleaning.

"No." he said, pointing at his bathroom "In here."

"Nik, just let me go back to my room."

"No. It's not safe."

"Nik, please."

He stormed over to her and gripped her arms tight so she couldn't pull away. "He almost killed you."

"And you killed him. He's gone now, you don't have to worry about me, just let me go."

He looked back at her, loathing the person he was, that he would have to do this to keep her safe. She would hate him for it, but she would be alive. "I can't let you go."

She looked at him, full of fear and anger "Are you going to kill me?"

"Kill you? Do you really think that low of me?"

"Yes." she hissed "I know who you really are now. You kill people. You killed Tyler."

"Listen to me very carefully, Caroline. Mikel does not work or travel alone. People are here watching me and when they find out he's missing they'll come after me and they'll start by killing anyone I've ever cared about. I'm getting out of here and I'm taking you with me. You can either come willingly or I will make you. Now get in the shower, you're covered in blood."

She felt numb as she walked into the bathroom. He stopped her before she shut the door, and reached into her pocket and took her phone. He closed the door most of the way, leaving it open a crack. She was too shocked to fight him on it, so she just pulled the blood soaked clothes off, threw them in the sink, and got in the shower. She scrubbed and watched the swirls of pink in the water as the blood came off her skin. Once she was clean she sat on the floor of the shower and cried. It was all too much. She had almost died and then she watched Nik kill someone right in front of her. Oh, god, what had happened to Nik? The sweet man she knew was gone, the one who healed her and helped her see a life after Tyler. He was a monster, a cold blooded killer. And she was stuck with him, he was going to drag her out of here and she was terrified of what would happen next.

Nik cleaned the room at record speeds. He had everything bagged up and ready to be disposed of in the trash room he stole the key from days ago. It was all free of any trace of his DNA, and if anyone ever managed to unlock the box Mikel was in, it would be impossible to identify the remains or even determine how long they had been in there. He hesitated to leave the room, but the shower was still running so he darted across the hall to get rid of the piles of evidence. He called Becca as soon as possible, and hoped she wouldn't be mad enough to ignore his calls. She ignored the first two but answered the third.

"Nik, leave me alone."

"It's Mikael."

"He's here?"

"Not anymore. His men are going to come after me."

"If this is a ploy to get me away from Stefan..."

"Becca you need to get out of here, go as far away as possible. Take the emergency credit card and go to the place we talked about and stay there until it's safe. Call Bonnie, she'll arrange a private flight for you so they can't track where you're going."

"I'm not leaving Stefan."

"Take him, take Damon and Elena too. I have Caroline with me. I've spent time with all of them and I don't know how much he saw, so they need to be protected."

"What should I tell Stefan?"

"Tell him whatever you want, just get out of here now."

"They're not going to just follow me without asking questions."

"Is he there?"

"No, I'm up in the room with Damon waiting for him and Elena to return from picking up some food."

"Put Damon on the phone."

Rebecca rushed into Damon's room holding her cell. He looked confused, but turned off the T.V.

"It's Nik. He needs to talk to you. An emergency."

Damon grabbed the phone. He was confused by this whole situation.

"What?"

"Damon, it's Nik. I need you to listen carefully, what I have to tell you is very serious."

"I'm listening."

"I'm going to tell you something so you know just how serious I am about all this, and that I have your best interest in mind."

"Go on."

"I was the one to do what you called Emily for. Do you understand?"

"How did you know about Emily?"

"I just told you. Now, you have to trust me. There are people after me, and they want to harm Becca and Caroline, and maybe the rest of you as well. Becca is going to get a private flight for all of you and take you somewhere safe. Go with her."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't. But I'm trying to save your lives here because Becca seems to like your brother for some reason and because Caroline would never forgive me for getting her friends killed. So do what I say and go with Becca."

"Where's Caroline?"

"With me"

"Send her back up to us."

"There's no time."

"If you do anything to hurt her..."

"Damon, you have my sister with you. Every second you stall her from getting out of here puts her in danger. She won't leave without Stefan and Stefan won't leave without you and Elena, so stop dragging your feet and get out of here. If anything happens to Becca because of you I will kill you and everyone you've ever loved, and I will do it slowly."

He hung up.

Now all there was left was his suitcase and the garbage bag he was going to throw his and Caroline's clothes in so he could burn them later.

He walked into the bathroom and saw her clothes in the sink. He threw them in the bag and looked over to the shower, hoping to catch a glimpse of her behind the clear door. His heart stopped when he thought she wasn't there, but he noticed her curled in the corner of the shower floor.

"Caroline, what are you doing?" He opened the door and saw her. He hated himself more than he knew was possible. She was shaking and crying. He had convinced himself that he could protect her, that he could make her happy. He had failed miserably.

He stepped into the running water, fully clothed. She flinched and pulled her knees tighter to her chest, refusing to look at him. He hesitantly sat down next to her. She wouldn't look his way, but her body was tense. She was trying to create a hard outer shell to protect herself from what was going on. He pulled her up into his lap and hugged her tight. She closed her eyes and tried to erase everything she had seen that day.

"Just let me go, please. I don't want to go with you." She said.

"I know. But you have to." He pulled her up and wrapped her in a towel.


	8. Chapter 8

There was a boat, then a larger boat, then a plane, then a smaller plane. On the larger boat he had quietly talked with a man who slipped him a new phone and new passports. for the both of them. She sat in silence and looked out windows as day turned to night and then back again. He kept calling people he worked with, pulling strings and calling in favors to ensure they would be well hidden until Mikel's men could be dealt with. She heard him call Becca a few times too. He would look over at her, act like he was about to say something, but he never did.

They had just gotten off their last plane and were weaving through some jungle that circled the remote spot where the tiny plane had landed. Caroline didn't know what country they were in, or even which continent. It was so hot out it made her dizzy.

"Drink more water" he pushed a bottle towards her. Every one of the few words he spoke to her were short little commands. "sit." "over here." "seatbelt." "eat." She felt like his dog, helpless to do anything but obey his stupid commands.

The bumpy dirt road looked as if no one had driven on it in a long time, it faded into the long tangles of grass that surrounded it.

They reached a tiny shack in the middle of nowhere. He pulled her inside and locked the doors, checking every corner for possible intruders. He pulled at a false floorboard that revealed a metal panel with a number pad and a glowing green screen, he punched in some numbers and pushed fingertip on the screen, and it beeped. The panel slid aside revealing a ladder down into a dark passage.

"Down you go, love."

"I'm not going first."

"I have to seal it back shut. No point in being down here if we're just going to leave it open."

She grumbled as she climbed down.

It looked like some kind of bomb shelter, bare and utilitarian, mostly metal. There was a tiny twin size mattress propped up on some crates, a desk, a microwave on a shelf of canned food, and a shelf full of electronics. There were two doors. She opened one to find a tiny bathroom, then the other.

It opened into a large closet full of guns, grenades, machetes, and other scary looking things she didn't recognize.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He had made his way to the bottom of the ladder and walked up behind her.

She whipped around, startled by how quietly he snuck up behind her.

"No!"

"Fine." he shrugged, and started plugging in different devices.

She didn't expect him to give up so easily. Nik always knew when she was upset and he had a way of making it better. This new person didn't care.

"Just so we're clear, I hate you." She spat out.

"I just used every connection I have to get you halfway across the world to the safest place I could find. I sent your friends with my sister to keep them safe. I could have left all of you there for Mikel's thugs to pick off. I'm saving your life. You should be thanking me."

"Thank you, Klaus" She said sarcastically.

"Klaus?"

"Yes, On the rare occasion I decide to speak to you from now on, I'll be calling you Klaus. Because you're not the Nik I thought I knew. You lied to me about everything! You're a monster."

"I'm the liar? Caroline you made damn sure I didn't know about what you did for work either."

"That's not fair! I tried to warn you it was bad, and besides, I don't do much at all with our work."

"Thats right, you're just there for your looks and to run a few easy errands. What does that make you? Tell me Caroline, have you ever held a real job or do you just find men to pay your way? Was Tyler Lockwood the first rich man to hold you as his kept woman? If I didn't show up right when you lost Tyler, how long would you have waited to start fucking Stefan Salvatore to ensure you stayed kept in the lifestyle you're accustomed to? If you knew what I was and how much I make when you first met me, would you have been so rude to me that first day at the pool? Or would you have jumped ship faster and latched on to the richer man?"

"You don't know anything about me! I loved Tyler and I had no idea what I was getting myself into until it was too late. I dropped out of college to be with him. I had dreams of what my life would be, and I didn't get them because I chose him."

"You stayed with him for the money."

"I stayed with him because I thought he would kill me if I left. And because I love Stefan and Elena and Damon. I lost everyone when I picked Tyler! My own parents won't return my calls. Elena and the Salvatores, they were my only friends and I didn't want to lose them by leaving Tyler."

He glared at her. She was just telling him stories, trying to make it seem like he was the bad one when she was just as bad. Women don't end up being kept by men like Tyler unless they went after it. It was clear with the Gilbert twins that hunting rich men was a sport these types of girls liked to play.

"Were you in my room to take the bracelet? After that big show about not wanting expensive things? Tell me love, how long would you have stayed with me if I really was a paramedic? A week? A month? How long would you have slummed it with a commoner before latching on to another drug lord?"

She reached over and slapped him. He shot her an angry look and she flinched, expecting him to hit her back, but it didn't come.

"I was falling in love with Nik. I've never felt that way about anyone. I didn't want expensive things from him or anything like that. I liked him because I felt safe and protected and like he cared about me beyond what I looked like. Because I saw the pain he had gone through when he opened up to me about his past and I realized I wanted nothing more than to be with him and help him have a happier life. I wanted to stay with him."

"Stop saying him! I'm right here. You're talking about me like I'm someone else."

"You are. You're Klaus and I don't know you. Nik is gone. He wasn't real."

He looked hurt. She was furious that he had the nerve to act hurt after everything he did and said.

"It was real. Everything was real."

"No." she scoffed.

"Why don't you believe me?"

"You had pictures of me, notes about me. I was a job. You got to know me to get closer to Tyler."

"The first time I met you, it was because of the job. The plan was to get you to let me into the room so I could see it ahead of time and map out how I would get to Tyler. Either that, or get him to come out of hiding and confront me for hitting on his girl, because he did seem to like his privacy and that made it difficult to get close enough to kill him."

She glared at him.

"After that, I told myself I kept going to see you because of the job. I didn't want to admit that I actually liked you. But I did. Everything after that first time was real."

She just shook her head. "It can't be real when it also benefits your job. You can't like me and also use me to get close to a hit. It can't be both. You don't use people you really like."

"I could have left after I killed him. I didn't need to stay. I could have gone home and found my next job, but I stayed to be with you! Does that mean nothing to you?"

"You stayed to be with me? Is it some power trip, fucking the girlfriends of the guys you kill? Is that, like, your thing?"

"You weren't his girlfriend anymore at that point, if I remember your words correctly. And I didn't kill him until the next day."

"Right, That makes it so much better."

He opened his mouth to say something, but decided not to. He had been doing a lot of that over the past day and a half of traveling. There was nothing that could convince her. There was nothing to say.

* * *

Becca pushed her fingertip against the sensor. The gate would only open for her or her siblings, it was a safety measure Nik had installed.

The others walked though behind her. The house was a massive structure made of steel. Sheets of metal rolled down over windows and doors to seal the whole thing shut. It was a fortress.

She motioned for the others to make themselves comfortable while she finished her call with Elijah.

"Not you too, Elijah...Yes, I'm sure Nik made it all sound very scandalous, but lets not forget that you were shacking up with that Tatia girl when you were younger than me, and Kol's exploits put us all to shame ... It's a little bit funny, Elijah. You should have seen his face... he told you he thinks Stefan is inappropriate?... Because of his age, really? ...Baby sister my ass, with his hands all over some girl who looks like she could be my age and he's older than Stefan... He's so full of shit, just because I'm the only girl... No, it's fine... I'll be back in a few days, we're just laying low until Nik manages to pick off all of the people stupid enough to give their lives defending our dear departed father's memory... Because why would I be sad? This is Mikael. ... It'll be fine, Elijah, go to work, just be aware of your surroundings. I'll be back soon... love you too... bye"

She showed them around the house and made them promise not to call anyone and let them know their location. Rebecca didn't seem fazed at all by what was going on. It was a routine, something she had been through the motions of before.

"So we'll just stay sealed shut in here until Nik gives me the ok, and then you're free to go."

Elena was still getting her head around the whole thing. Rebecca had basically just told them that their lives were in danger because someone might have spotted them associating with her brother, but no big deal, he's just going to 'take care' of all of them.

"I want to talk to Caroline" she demanded.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "She's fine, she's with Nik"

"The same Nik we're waiting on to massacre a bunch of trained hitmen? Gee, I feel so safe leaving my friend alone with him."

Rebecca glared at her and looked to Stefan for help.

He looked uncomfortable to be stuck in the middle of it all "Becca, If you could just ask him to put her on the phone the next time you hear from him, they'd stop worrying."

"Yeah" Damon retorted "We'd feel so much better knowing the psycho killer holding our friend hostage hasn't killed her _yet_. Especially since we all know what he does now and it's probably only a matter of time before he comes here to pick all of us off so we don't spill his secret."

Rebecca was furious "Do you really think I'd allow that? I've already discussed this with Nik. You're all to remain unharmed as long as you keep your stupid mouths shut about what he does. He knows all about your cartel so it's not like he doesn't have something over your heads either. Your sleazy drug business is actually saving you."

Damon rummaged through the liquor cabinet, looking for something old and dark. He pulled out a dusty bottle and found a glass. "Excuse me, Rebecca, if I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth, but I'll be enjoying my probably last day on earth somewhere I don't have to hear you yapping in my ear."

Elena shot Stefan an apologetic look before running after Damon, who, if she knew anything about him at all, was looking for a bathtub to get drunk in.

Rebecca and Stefan sat on the big couch in the living room.

"They're over reacting, you know" She snipped.

"Wouldn't you?"

"Nik's going to fix everything."

"I hope you're right. I just got you back, this can't be over already."

"Hey" she said as she smoothed his hair "He's the good guy in this story, trust me. There are things I haven't told you about my family, about my father. Nik's not the bad one."

Elena wandered through the house. The place was big, but it was bare and cold. There weren't any photos or mementos or any personal things. There was plenty of nonperishable food and she was relieved to see clothes and blankets stacked in one of the closets. They had left all their things in the room and made sure they were payed up for the next few weeks. It would be better if anyone who checked thought they were still there.

She walked from one bedroom to the next, peeking in each bathroom. All showers. He would have stomped right past each of them, creature of habit and all that. Finally she found the one he was in. Damon's clothes were scattered all over the floor and there he was. He was pouring another glass as he pouted in his bubble bath.

"How did I know there would be bubbles?" She smiled.

"You know me too well" he grumbled, and took a long sip.

"Looking for company?" she offered.

"Like you even need to ask."

She made a little show of pulling everything off and sank into the hot water with him. He handed the glass to her and she took a sip, then handed it back to him.

He pulled her in for a deep kiss.

"If this thing gets ugly, with Nik and all, I want you to get out of here."

"Damon, don't."

"No. Listen to me. If he comes after us, I'll distract him and you run. You go straight to the police."

"I'm not going to leave you, and we don't do police."

"If he gets here and something happens, go straight to the police and tell them everything about my business. They'll get so much about me out of you that they'll give you witness protection for life. Even Nik wouldn't be stupid enough to come after you."

"I wouldn't do that, I couldn't."

"You might have to."

"But where does that leave you? Either dead or in jail."

"And you'll be safe. I will always protect you. It doesn't matter what happens to me if you're safe."

She just shook her head. "I can't do that. We had a deal. I go where you go."

He pulled her closer and hoped it wouldn't come to this. She would hate him forever if he forced her hand on this one, but even if she hated him, he needed to keep her safe.

* * *

Caroline stepped out of the tiny bathroom in a pair of the sweatpants and a t shirt he had stacked under the bed. It felt good to be clean after their disgustingly long journey, but she hated being in front of him with wet hair and no makeup, wearing his clothes that were far too baggy on her. She chided herself for caring what he thought of how she looked. It didn't matter what she looked like in front of him, because she didn't like him. Why did she keep having to remind herself of that?

He grabbed a towel and another set of clothes from under the bed and walked in to the bathroom for his turn to shower.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm in here" he reminded her, talking to her like she was a child.

She just flipped him the finger without bothering to look up at him. She found a book on his desk, a dusty old Russian novel, and she was pretending to be too interested in it to bother with noticing his presence.

Once the water started she put the book down and climbed into the bed. She was exhausted, but she didn't want to give him an excuse to get close to her. If he got in first she would be to stubborn to try to share it with him. Maybe he would just leave her alone and sleep on the floor.

He got out of the bathroom and saw her pretending to sleep, sprawled out on the middle of the little bed. She could be such a brat, but it only endeared him to her more. He picked her up and moved her to the side so there was room for him to get in next to her.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Sleeping" He grumbled.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as she could feel his breath there. Who has a twin bed? Honestly, there wasn't nearly enough room for two people who didn't want to be smushed against each other. She started to get up, and reached for the pillow.

"Where are you going with that?" He looked amused.

"I'm sleeping on the floor. Theres no way I can fall asleep with you breathing all over me. Gross."

He just laughed and pulled her back down "You slept fine before, Caroline, just go to sleep."

She tried to get up but he locked an arm around her. "Seriously, Caroline, stop being a child. It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before and there's no where else to sleep in this tin can."

She wiggled against him, trying to break free of his grip. She was too stubborn to just give in to him. She wanted to prove a point. He just laughed and held her tighter so she couldn't break free. He wasn't about to let her sleep on the floor.

She wiggled every way she could think of, but she couldn't break free of his grip, the more she tried to get away the tighter he held her to him.

"Feel free to keep doing that, I certainly don't mind" he murmured in her ear, his other hand pushing her closer to him by pressing on her lower stomach, fingers running alone her hip bone.

Caroline turned bright red when she realized what she had been doing. All her squirming had been essentially grinding against him and now there was something familiar pressed against her lower back. She gasped in surprise and tried to shift herself so it wasn't so noticeable, but it wasn't going away.

"That's not helping" He warned as she shifted around.

She was too flustered to find words so she just let out an annoyed 'hmmft' and tried to stay as still as possible and fall asleep. _Just fall asleep and forget all about the hard length pressing into your back and how good it felt when he was inside you and how he kissed you and moved his hands all over you, finding everywhere you wanted to be touched while you could feel the heat of his body making you flush and how he looked right at you as your felt his tip slide into you over and over , prolonging the torture and how when he grabbed your legs that time against the bathroom wall you could feel him pushing up inside you right where you wanted it and how you came so hard you left claw marks on him back from gripping on and all you have to do to feel that good again is just move a few little articles of clothing to the side and wrap your hand around his... Stop it Caroline! No! Nik or Klaus or whoever he is is a terrible person. Cut it out. It doesn't matter how much you want to feel him push inside you or how much you love it when he roughly pulls you closer and pushes into you harder when you say his name and how good his possessive hands feel when they slide across your body, like he's claiming every part of you... No! Stop thinking about it. _

Caroline continued her inner battle, feeling hornier than ever, begging herself to fall asleep so she could stop thinking about him. It was absolute torture, knowing how good he felt and being right there next to him but at the same time knowing it was wrong.

It took what seemed like forever, but she finally drifted to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Caroline looked at the cold metal wall she was facing with confusion. Where was she? There was an arm wrapped around her, the hand curving up to cup her breast. Nik, of course. She rested her hand on his for a second, relieved to be waking up with him.

_Wait, Caroline, remember everything that happened the last few days? Get that stranger's hand off your boob! He's some psycho killer with a lunatic sister and he dragged you out to some remote jungle bomb shelter under the pretense of trying to protect you._

She pealed his hand away and felt him stir a little. His eyes were moving beneath his closed eyelids, probably in the middle of a dream.

He let out a strange whimper, as if someone had punched him in the gut, then he was saying something

_No.. Stop.. _

Great, she thought, he's having a nightmare and I'm stuck here next to him. Go ahead and have your stupid nightmare, you're probably caused plenty of them.

_Not her.. Let her go... I'll do anything.. Don't kill her.._

She felt a little pang of guilt. He was having a nightmare about someone hurting his sister Rebecca. Even if everything else he ever told her was a lie, she believed that he really loved his sister and wanted to keep her safe. It was the one thing that kept her from worrying too much about her friends. They were with Rebecca, and if Nik or Klaus or whoever he was had anything to do about it, that would be the safest place on earth.

_I'll kill you .. don't touch her.. please, don't.._

She was starting to feel really uncomfortable watching him stir as something terrifying came after Rebecca in his dream. She considered pushing him awake, but wasn't there a saying about letting sleeping serial killers lie?

_Caroline... _

She shot up in the bed. Did he just say? No, it couldn't be.

_Let her go... Let Caroline go, please, Not her..._

She jumped over him, looking for something to poke him awake with. She couldn't just sit here and let it continue, it was freaking her out. She was running around the little room trying to find a broom or stick to nudge him awake with. He would probably break her arm if she just reached out and shook him, she needed to find something before she heard him say her name like that again.

He took in a sharp breath as he shot up, opening his eyes wide. His hand flew to the empty side of the bed, and his clothes stuck to him with sweat. The fear drained from his face as soon as he spotted her, awkwardly standing in the middle of the little room with her hands out like she was trying to reach for something.

She felt bad for him for a second. She used to have nightmares all the time when she was little, always being chased by scary vampires and werewolves in her dreams. Her mother would have to run into her room in the middle of the night to comfort her screaming daughter. She would make her mother check the closet and under the bed for the monsters, and keep the light on for the rest of the night. Her mom would take out her police badge and wave it around the room, telling Caroline that monsters were afraid of it, and it would scare them away. She always made her stay there with her until she fell back asleep. Caroline would lay on her stomach and her mom would rub her back, tracing the shape of a star along it. She would make up little stories about how it would keep the monsters from ever touching her.

The day Caroline decided to run away with Tyler, she stopped in a tattoo shop between leaving her mother's house and meeting him at the airport. She got a few tiny stars on her foot. At the time she thought she just wanted something that looked pretty, but later she remembered her mom waving the police badge, tracing the shape on her back to keep the monsters away. She wanted to feel like she would always be safe.

She thought about sitting next to him, tracing the star on his back to make whatever was in the nightmare go away. She couldn't do it though. This wasn't Nik. It was Klaus and she shouldn't feel bad for him. He had a stupid nightmare, no big deal. He's over it already.

Klaus was sitting in the bed, looking hesitantly at her. Shit. He probably looked so stupid jumping up like that. She was looking at him like she pitied him and was afraid of him at the same time. Although her moods ranged from angry to indifferent since she saw him for what he really was, she always had that underlying look of fear.

He wanted to get rid of it, the way she looked at him like that, but he didn't know how. People being afraid of him was always a good thing. He was good at rattling people with an unsettling smile or a looming glare. He knew how to get people to leave him alone or give him what he wanted by using his ability to make their skin crawl. He never needed to reverse it.

"You were having a nightmare" she said hesitantly.

"No I wasn't"

"Seriously? I was right here. You talk in your sleep."

"No I don't"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I guess you were just having a nice pleasant dream about someone trying to kill me."

He cringed. She shouldn't have heard that. It made him look weak, and that was the last thing he needed with all of this going on.

"What makes you think it was about you? According to you, I don't care about you at all."

"I heard my name. And I don't think you care about me. I'm probably worth some kind of leverage or ransom or something. I don't know."

He shrugged and got out of bed, walking over to plug in a laptop. If she was going to be this way, he didn't want to bother. He'd never groveled for a woman's attention before, and this wasn't the time to start. She had made it very clear she didn't appreciate him saving her from Mikael or killing her psychotic abusive ex-boyfriend. What more could he do?

She waited a few minutes for him to respond, or say anything at all, but he just checked messages and ignored her. She went to the microwave to heat up some water for tea and banged the cups and packages around loudly but he didn't even turn around. He didn't even try to convince her he actually liked her when she said that thing about her probably being leverage or something. It made her crazy. Why was he being like this?

The next few hours he scribbled notes, made a few quick calls to Emily, checked on his siblings, and walked around reorganizing his weapons. She kept stomping, dropping things, making loud noises, even shouting at him, but he pretended she wasn't there.

"You know, Nik wouldn't just brush me off like that."

"According to you Nik isn't real." he said, without bothering to look over at her. _Seriously, Caroline, just leave me alone, _he thought_. I'm so close to figuring out a plan of attack._

"So this is how it's going to be? You're just going to hold me here hostage and ignore me?"

"Yes, that is precisely how it is going to be. I'm going to sit here and figure out the best way to kill the people threatening your life, all the while providing food and shelter for you, not to mention your friends. You are going to sit there and be quiet so I can get some work done."

"You expect me to believe that you're saving my life? You're saving your own life. Mikael's men are probably way more interested in killing you than me."

"Yes, but unlike you, I can actually defend myself."

"I can defend myself."

"My experience says otherwise. I seriously doubt you would have been able to defend yourself from Tyler Lockwood if your precious Stefan hadn't walked in to save you."

"How many times do I have to tell you that Stefan and I aren't like that?"

"At least once more, excuse me for having trouble believing that someone like him could be friends with someone who looks like you and not want to do more."

"You've obviously never had a platonic friendship with a girl."

"I don't have friendships at all. They're pointless."

"Nik was starting to be friends with Stefan until you found out he was with your sister."

"Again with the weird little boundaries, I'd like to know where you think Nik ends and I begin."

"I'm not explaining it to you when you already know how it works. You're the one doing it."

"Fine. Back to the first subject you avoided, at least acknowledge that if it wasn't for me or Stefan, you'd probably be dead twice by now, so lets stop pretending you're some tough girl who could do a thing to protect herself from the people I'm trying to kill right now. People who know you were in the room when Mikael died."

"I would have figured something out. I can take care of myself."

"Whatever you say, love."

"No. You do not get to call me that."

"Why, because Nik used to call you that? And you seem to have trouble accepting that he and I are the same person?"

He walked over to where she was standing. She felt her heartbeat quicken with every step he took. Her breathing was more rapid and her stomach clenched. She took a few steps back but hit the wall.

"Don't call me that again." She hissed, trying to tilt her head back, away from him, he was only inches away.

"I remember you liking it when I called you that, especially when I was inside you."

"Stop."

"What's the matter, sweetheart? You've been stomping around all morning, trying to get my attention. Now you have it."

His hand reached out to play with a lock of her hair. She flinched and looked away. His other hand was at her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"You want to talk about something, so say it."

She just glared at him.

"Alright, then we'll just have to talk about what I want to talk about, if you're going to be stubborn about it."

She rolled her eyes.

"I want to talk about you. I want to talk about those delightful little noises you make when I kissed you here." his fingers brushed the side of her neck "Or when I touched you here" His hand slid down her chest. "Or when I ..."

"Stop. Klaus, stop it."

"Here's the thing, love. You stomp around here telling me you hate me and I'm a terrible person and a liar, making it seem like everything between us was all meaningless because I'm not the person you thought I was. That's not a very smart way to act when you're so isolated with a trained killer."

His thumb was running along the waistband of her pants, trailing from one hip to the other. She bit her lip as his hand grazed across her, not wanting him to see or hear anything that might indicate how much she was struggling to not pull him closer and have her way with him.

"Klaus, don't."

"Don't what?"

"Just stop. Don't touch me."

His hand slid up her shirt.

"You've called me a monster so many times over the last few days, maybe I'll just start to behave like one. I don't think a monster would stop just because you asked so nicely."

She tried to pull away from him, but he had her pinned against the wall. His hand was pushing aside the cup of her bra so he could feel the soft skin of her breast against his hand. Her nipple hardened instantly at his touch. She could feel him smirk as he kissed along her neck.

She let out a tiny whimper. His touch felt so good that for a moment she forgot everything else. She just wanted to be with him. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes to concentrate on the feeling. She tried to shake herself out of it and push him away, but she couldn't. As much as she hated him, she didn't want him to stop.

"That's it, sweetheart" he whispered in her ear, continuing to roll his thumb across her nipple, feeling triumphant with every little noise that slipped through her lips. She was starting to give in. He grinned wickedly at the little noises. It wasn't enough for her to want him, not after all her pretending she wasn't interested anymore, he wanted to make her beg him for it. He was going to make this the sweetest torture she'd ever experienced, prolonging it and teasing her until she was pleading with him. He moved a hand across her stomach, trailing down her hips, just close enough that she pushed her hips towards him, already needing more.

"When I make you scream my name, darling, will you be calling me Nik or Klaus?"

She was fighting within herself, knowing she should push him away, but it felt so good. She swallowed hard, trying to compose herself. It was too late. She turned her head towards him, about to kiss him. This would be it, no turning back...

** beepbeepbeep.**

He froze, his lips just inches away from hers. That particular ring meant Emily. Emily had promised to call once she knew the location and number of Mikael's men. It was the only detail left that he needed in order to kill them.

** beepbeepbeep.**

He closed his eyes and tried to hold in all the rage that was boiling inside him. Not now, not when she was just about to...

**beepbeepbeep.**

He punched the wall, making Caroline flinch away. He darted across the room to pick up the phone.

"This had better be important."

Caroline could hear the muffled voice of a woman on the other line. He grunted in response to whatever she was saying, scribbling notes down and flicking the laptop back open to go to the page she was sending him. It was a surveillance video, four men sitting around on lawn chairs, laughing and cleaning their guns. He was jotting down names as soon as their faces became clear. He knew exactly who they were.

She realized the moment was long over, and didn't know how to feel. His full attention was on the video in front of him. She would have to sit here with him in this tiny room and deal with the aftermath of whatever that was that just happened between them. But that didn't mean she had to deal with it right now. Caroline slipped into the bathroom, the only place she could go to get away, and turned on the shower.


	10. Chapter 10

He was packing a bag. The closet full of weapons was open and he paused in front of each one, considering which would be best for the job.

Four men, all trained killers, all loyal friends of Mikael, all knew what he looked like. Picking them off one by one sniper style seemed like the best approach, although they might hole up after the first one drops, and then he would have to move in closer.

Emily's voice kept coming from the laptop. It seemed she kept calling him with more details, but she didn't show her face on the screen. Caroline wondered if they had ever... No, she sounded a bit older, and the way she nagged at him and worried about him made it sound like she was more of a mother figure, plus his boss.

Emily had decided to go with him, meeting him at the place the four men would be at. The five of them had hunted as a pack, working as mercenaries for various criminal outfits. Mikael had been a bit of a leader with them, so it was impossible to tell what the current dynamic of the four remaining men was. They weren't as expensive or sleek as Emily's men, and they never bothered to cover up their crime scenes, but for more brutal organizations, they got the job done.

There were a lot of people that valued the services that the pack of five men provided, but none of them loved them enough to go after someone for picking them off. In fact, it would be expected that someone like Emily might get rid of them for pure business reasons. Without them, she had more customers coming to her. She had never lost a job to the pack of five, but she might gain a few of their repeat customers once they were gone. The types of clients that both of them attracted wouldn't be disturbed if they found out about this, they'd be impressed.

He kept popping out of the little bomb shelter, going above ground to practice with various guns. He hadn't practiced his sniper shots in well over a week because he was off on the Lockwood job, so he needed to make sure everything was perfect before going out to pick off the men that Mikael considered his brothers, his pack.

He was running around the room with the laptop volume turned up so he could talk to her without sitting right in front of it. Caroline had stormed off to the bathroom again. She took way more showers than necessary, and he had the distinct impression that she was just using it as an excuse to not have to look at him for a while. Unless she wanted to sit in the gun closet, the bathroom was the only place she could go to avoid the sight of him.

Why had he pulled that stupid stunt yesterday, pushing himself on her like that? It had been a shitty thing to do to her, but it was who he was. She was right to not want anything to do with him. He would always be a hunter. He could try and catch her by being who she wanted him to be, but eventually little glimpses of his real self would show, and she would be repelled by it.

He had been so sure she was going to give in. She kept trying to get away, but she wasn't trying as hard as she could have. Her eyes were begging him not to stop at the same time her hands were pushing him away. Or had he read her wrong? He thought he knew what he was doing, but if she really wanted him, would she have ran straight to the bathroom to hide as soon as he loosed his grip? She was right, he was a monster. He had cornered a scared little girl who was trapped in the middle of nowhere with him. It wasn't a fair fight. No wonder she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was probably as disgusted with him as he was with himself.

The voice coming from the laptop distracted him from his self loathing and snapped him back into the impending job.

"Ok, Emily, the spot we discussed. I should be able to get there by ten am tomorrow."

"The girl?"

"In the shower right now."

"How much does she know?"

"Relax, Emily, she's harmless. You should know that, you did the checks before the Lockwood job."

"Harmless means she could go to the police. She's seen your face, Nik."

"But not yours, so calm down. She won't go to the police. She's been involved with the Salvatore drug cartel for a year now. The stuff they run is the most powerful on the market, the feds have been after them for years. There's no way she'd risk stepping foot in a police station."

"So your plan is what? Just pat her on the head and send her back to the Salvatores? Thanks for keeping me company while I killed all these people, now be a dear and don't tell anyone?"

"Emily, can we not talk about the girl when we should be focused on the pack we're about to take out."

"No, Nik, I want this all straightened out now. You're never distracted by anything, but this girl isn't helping your focus. I want it all on the table before we're in the field."

"Fine. I don't want to just bring her back to the Salvatores, but what choice do I have? I can't force her to stay with me, she hates me. And now Becca's with one of them, pulling some shit about love and garbage like that. She didn't even care that I wouldn't approve of it. She's forcing me to be cordial with them when I'd like to rip Stefan Salvatore's liver out for the way he was groping my baby sister."

"Your sister will be fine, Nik. No one who knows who you are is going to mess with her. That Salvatore is probably scared shitless of you, he'll treat Becca like a Queen to avoid your wrath."

"I shouldn't find that comforting, but I do."

"Now lets get back to your little Stockholm Syndrome love story."

"Not funny, Emily."

"Come on, Nik. The same supplies were at the house with Becca. You didn't need to take this girl somewhere separate from the rest. And you wouldn't separate yourself from Becca unless being alone with this girl was your plan."

"There wasn't time to get everyone together, I didn't want to risk.."

"Bullshit. You would always find time to get to Becca. You wanted to get her alone so you could work your charms on her. Obviously, you thought if you brought her to the same place as her friends she would hide behind them and you wouldn't have a chance with her."

"Don't be ridiculous"

"I taught you everything, don't pretend I can't see right through you."

"Fine."

"So how's it going?"

"Bloody awful. She liked me just fine before, but now she's acting like she doesn't know me."

"And what do you plan to do about it?"

"Well I was about to do something about it yesterday, but you interrupted."

"Excuses, Nik."

"Timing, Emily. You taught me that."

"Nik, you're my best employee, and you're like family to me. The last thing I want is to lose you because you're too busy running around with some girl to do jobs for me. But you need to straighten this shit out. Either be with her or don't."

"Like it's that simple, be with her or don't, I can't just.."

"You can't just what? Make up your mind?"

"No"

"So which is it?"

"I want to be with her, but.."

"No but. Nik, I've sent you on the hardest jobs I've ever gotten, and you've never failed me. You get what you set out to get. This is no different.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Caribbean...

* * *

"Mr, Lockwood, are you sure?"

Mason Lockwood looked down at the grayed, waterlogged body before him. It was in the early stages of decomposition, but he knew his nephew when he saw him.

"Yes. That's Tyler."

The medical worker pulled the sheet back over his head and slid the table away to store it back in the freezers.

The forensic scientist motioned for him to sit down in the office. He hesitantly looked back at Jules and Vicki in the waiting room. They seemed to be fine for now, so he sat down.

"Well everything seems to line up with the story the police gave us. There were no traces of toxins in his system except alcohol and cocaine, but the amounts were very small, not nearly enough to cause serious impairment or death. There was blunt force trauma to the head, it is consistent with the probable suggestion that he slipped and hit his head on the boat. His cause of death is drowning, and again, the story matches up with the evidence in the body."

"Do you have any possible signs of foul play?" Mason asked.

"None."

Mason wasn't so convinced. He had told Tyler to stay put and keep at it until the Salvatores gave him their recipe. He needed that before he could come back to the family and work for them, making an identical product that would run the Salvatores out of business. The plan was for Tyler to email the list of secret products to Mason that next week. He was getting closer to them letting him see. After that, it was all ratios and measurements. There's no way Tyler would pack all his things and leave them. Not when he had nowhere to run to.

"He was here with his friends, two guys, did they come in to view the body?"

"No, I've been told the police contacted their room several times. They're still checked in, but they haven't come down here yet."

Mason nodded. They were behind this. He was going to have to pay the Salvatore brothers a visit.

* * *

Caroline watched him get everything organized. He was packing weapons, bottles of water, a few power bars, extra shoes.

They still hadn't talked about what happened the day before. He just acted like nothing happened, like he didn't corner her and feel her up, totally without permission. She tried to push the memory of it out of her mind. It made her feel weak to admit that she liked it.

Ok, so he kills people for a living. That's not the worst thing in the world, right? Tyler got people high for a living, and some people probably o.d.'ed from stuff he moved, right? Not the same, Caroline. Nik ripped Mikael's throat out right in front of you. He dug in and caused pain with his own hands. He killed a family member like it was nothing. No, not Nik, he was Klaus. But he saved you, isn't that a little bit romantic? And it's not like you're so squeaky clean either. You were practically giddy when you found out Tyler was dead, what does that make you?

She snapped out of her thoughts when he sat down on the bed next to her.

"Are you leaving now?"

He nodded. He should have used the moment to give her the speech he had been planning in his head, but he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to take that risk, she would probably tell him she'd never be interested. He needed that little bit of hope, the chance of coming back to something, to get him through this job.

"I set up the skype on the computer to connect to the one in the safe house, that way you can talk to your friends, so you're not so alone in here while I'm gone. You'll be sealed in here, so no one except me would be able to get in. You'll be safe, just stay put and don't touch any of the guns."

"Oh. Thank you."

He felt awkward. _Just tell her just tell her. _

She felt the awkward silence surround them as they sat next to each other without touching or looking over to the other.

"How long will you be gone?"

"It'll take about 15 hours to get to where they are. The same to get back here. Other than that, it depends on how things go. It could be a few minutes or a few days."

She searched his face for some kind of emotion, some clue to how he was feeling. "Are you afraid?"

"Of what?"

"Of something going wrong, of you..."

"Dying? No. I'm not worried. It'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure? There's more of them than you, and they must know that you'll be after them."

"Careful, sweetheart, you might make me think you actually care."

"I just... I don't want you to die."

The simple sentiment from her made his heart soar.

"I won't. I'll come back."

He got up and picked up the bag. He started to climb up the ladder to leave, but he stopped, put the bag down and turned around. She stood up, confused. Maybe he forgot to pack something?

He was walking back towards her.

"If I don't come back...There would only be one thing I would regret."

He was getting closer to her, too close. She took a step back, unsure of what he was going to do.

"Just let me do this." He was only inches away, looking down at her with pleading eyes.

He pulled her into him and kissed her, She felt a shockwave run down from her lips to where his hand rested on her lower back. She kissed back, forgetting all the stubborn reminders of why she shouldn't want to be kissing him. Her hands caressed the side of his face, trying to keep him there as long as possible. She was pushing her body against him as he slid his tongue into her mouth, teasing her, tracing the inside of her lips. She felt a heat wash over her and all she could think of was how much she wanted him, she didn't want him to go up that ladder out into the world. She wanted to keep him right here.

He broke away from the kiss and gently pulled her hands away from him, holding on to them a moment before breaking away. In that moment, she saw Nik again.

He was back up the ladder and then he was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Elena shoved Stefan off the chair so she could get to the computer.

"Caroline? Are you ok? Where are you?"

Caroline smiled. It was good to see Elena's face again.

"Hey, 'Lena. I'm ok, I don't know where I am, but I think it's pretty safe."

"Where is he?"

"He left. To, uh, you know. Do the job."

"Do you think he's going to kill us next? We know what he does, doesn't that make us a liability?"

"I don't know. I think.. maybe because of our work, it's not an issue. If we out him, we out ourselves as his client, and open up ourselves to investigation that would lead to

the business being discovered. So I think he knows we won't tell, for our own good."

"He gives me the creeps, Care. I can't believe I kept pushing you to hook up with him. I really thought he was nice."

"Yeah" Caroline said sadly.

"Wait. You don't still like him, do you?"

"No. Of course not."

"I can always tell when you're lying."

"I don't know what to feel! I'm really confused."

"Caroline! He's not who we thought he was! He said he was a paramedic and we know that's not true, and he kept showing up where we were, obviously he was stalking us as part of the job."

Caroline just nodded. It was all true, but it didn't make things any less confusing. She wondered if Elena knew who had hired Nik. Would that change things for how she felt about her boyfriend? Was it super evil to even mention it, when it would only hurt Elena?

"Elena... I found something out.. that I don't know what to do with. I want to be honest with you about everything, but I know if I tell you It'll hurt you."

"He told me yesterday."

"What?"

"Damon. He told me yesterday that he and Stefan were the ones to hire Nik or whatever his real name is. That's what you were going to tell me, right?"

Caroline was shocked. She didn't expect Damon to be so honest with her.

"Yeah, uh. Wow."

"Obviously, I'm mad at him for doing something so crazy, and for not telling me earlier, but I kinda understand it. And the only thing that would have made me really angry would have been that it would hurt you if Tyler died. But after seeing you so relieved that he was gone, I don't really feel so bad about what Damon did. Of course, I'm not going to tell him that, I want him to make this up to me for the next year."

"Elena. How can you be so calm about your boyfriend taking a hit out on someone he was that close to? Don't you worry that he'll.."

"Never. Trust me Care, that's never going to be how things go with him and me."

"Hey, Lena?"

"Yeah?"

"If you didn't know already, would you have wanted me to tell you?"

Elena thought for a moment. "Yeah, I'd want to know the truth even if it sucked. I wouldn't want anyone to hide something from me because they didn't think I could handle it. What would you want if it was you?"

Caroline scrunched her brow. It would have been so nice to stay blissfully ignorant with Nik the paramedic forever. But now she had the real deal, and as much as it hurt to let go of what was all lies, the real Niklaus was starting to get under her skin in ways she couldn't understand. She wasn't sure what to do with that information other than torture herself for feeling something for someone she should hate. And then there was Tyler, who she stayed with because she didn't know he was cheating, something Damon and Stefan hid from her because they didn't think she could handle it. She's rather have pain and truth than stay ignorant.

"I'd want the same, Lena. Promise me you'll always tell me the truth"

Elena was about to respond when she was shoved away from the computer.

"Has he contacted you yet?" Rebecca asked impatiently.

Caroline nodded no.

Rebecca made a face. "Me neither. I'm sure he'll contact me first, so I'll let you know when I hear something." She stomped away, dragging Elena with her, going off about how Damon was drinking them out of house and home.

Caroline watched them disappear up the stairs and the computer screen only showed an empty room on the other side. Now she was really alone.

_Let him be ok, please let him come back_, she thought, not sure who she was asking or praying to. She needed him to be safe, although she didn't know why. His kiss before he left had shook her to the core. The way he looked at her was all Nik, but only the day before that, he had been Klaus, aggressive and unyielding, and she had almost given in to him.

Who would he be when he came back? Would it matter? This was the end of their story. He would bring her back to her friends and that would be the end of that. There was nothing else for them to do. There was no happy ending for them, real life would get in the way and stamp out any glimmer of hope she held on to, dreaming of some possible life where she could hold on to him without letting go of her sense of right and wrong or her friends.

* * *

Nik and Emily were crouched behind the brush on the side of the hill. The main house was surrounded by fields of cattle and a long dirt road pointed out of the farm to the highway.

It was a good place for hunters, isolated, but not too far away from civilization. The farm was an easy way to launder their money, cover their tracks, prove they had legitimate jobs.

Two of the men were walking around the yard together, smoking cigars and laughing about something. Emily checked her view. They had a clean shot on each of them. They could wait for all four of them to come outside, it would be easier to pick them off, or they could get these two now and move closer, although the other two would be prepared.

She gave him the signal and he nodded. He was tired of waiting.

The two shots rang out in quick succession, and the two bodies dropped. No one had aim like Nik and Emily. The nodded to each other and began to creep down the hill, noticing the figures moving franticly within the house. The others were probably grabbing their weapons, ready for the fight.

They circled around, trying to avoid being caught in sight as long as possible. Emily was already pressed up against the side of the house, she was much better at being slinky than he was. He was a few paces away from one of the windows when he locked eyes with the man on the other side, holding the machine gun.

Nik ducked and rolled just in time to avoid the peppering of shots that smashed

through the window. Emily had managed to climb onto the roof and she was crawling over to the opposite side of the house. He got up and edged along the wall, then broke though the door, charging at the man he saw from the side. He was just about to pull the trigger when he saw the man crumple to the ground. Emily had snuck up behind him and taken him out. One left.

They listened but there was nothing to hear. The house was silent, but they knew there was one more man inside. He walked though the living room with his back against the wall, stepping around the couches and pool table. The dartboard on the wall made him almost snort with laughter. A picture of Nik's face was taped to the center, with darts protruding from his forehead, nose and mouth. It looks like Mikael didn't hide his loathing of his stepson from his men.

There was a slight creak as Nik stepped on a loose floorboard, and he paused, waiting for the man to approach. He kept moving, looking all over for the hidden assailant. He heard a shot ring out and Emily curse. She had missed. He ran towards the noise and collided with the man, knocking the guns out of both of their hands and out of reach. He headbutted the man, giving himself enough time to reach for the knife in his pocket. The man wasn't going down without a fight, he had a knife of his own and he aimed for Nik's heart.

The knife missed, hitting him in the left shoulder. His right hand curled around the handle of his own knife and hit the man square in the chest. He felt a rib crack as he made contact, but the single blow wasn't enough to kill him. They were swinging and grabbing at each other on the ground when Emily raced into the room, gun cocked.

He rolled off the man and out of the way and she finished the job.

Emily pulled out the emergency kit she kept with her and motioned for him to sit down.

"It's fine, let's just go. I need to get back to her."

"And what good are you going to be to anyone with an infected wound?"

"It's nothing."

"Nik, I'm sewing it up before we leave this place."

"I don't want you to."

"Stop being a baby. I swear, you can take a bullet without flinching, but the second it comes to stitches..."

"I'll just hold it shut with bandages."

"No." she barked, and pulled out the needle and thread. He gave in and reached for the bottle of antiseptic, pouring it over the area and gritting his teeth.

Nik looked away as she pushed the needle through his skin, creating a neat little row of stitches.

"There, all done."

He pouted a bit when he looked at it.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Nik, girls love scars."

"I was sloppy, I shouldn't have let him make contact."

"You're fine."

"No, if you weren't here, he might have taken me out."

"Which is why we decided to do this job together."

He shook his head. "You were right earlier. I am distracted."

They cleaned up and made their way back over the hill, finding the car on the other side. They drove in silence before making it to the boat and climbing aboard. Bonnie steered them to the island airport that would be bringing both of them back to where they came from on separate flights.

Emily checked on his shoulder again, dabbing it with antiseptic and re-doing his bandages.

"Now, baby, remember to change these every day, I don't want you getting an infection."

"I'm not new at this Emily, I know how to take care of it."

She gave him a soft smile and gently pulled his sleeve back over the fresh bandage. "Let me fuss over you a bit, you're the closest thing I'll ever have to a child of my own. And you only have to deal with me today, tomorrow you can do it yourself, or better yet, get that girl to help you."

He gave her a withering stare. Caroline wouldn't want anything to do with him when he came back, and the last thing she would want to see was the evidence of his scuffle with his recent victim.

She did kiss back though, right before he left. Didn't she? He was half convinced he had imagined it. Maybe she did. But that was only because she thought he might die. Now she would be anxious to get away from him. Once he came back, she would want him to take her to the Salvatores. He could tell her he needed a night to rest before leaving again, that would give him one more night to try something, anything.

Emily was getting off the boat, ready to walk in the opposite direction.

"Oh, Nik! I forgot to tell you before, your cut of the money from the Lockwood job just got wired into your account."

"Thanks, I'll see you Thursday."

"Thursday?"

"That's how long it'll take me to get the girl back to the Salvatores, try to pry Becca away from Stefan, and get back to the offices."

"No." She shook her head and scrunched her brow.

"What?"

"I'm not letting you do this."

"Do what?"

"Run away."

"I'm not running, I'm jut being rational. She'll want to go back to them, she doesn't want to be with me. She won't even look at me."

Emily shook her head. "You really don't understand women at all."

"You weren't there! You didn't see how she looked at me when I pulled Mikael off of her and ripped him apart. There's no going back."

"She's terrified of you! She knows you could kill her just as easily."

"Like I said! No going back!"

Emily laughed. "You're clueless. You've never bothered to really connect with or relate to women. You have no idea how to be with her, or anyone. Any girl with a lick of common sense would be wary of getting involved with you. You have to convince her you're worth it."

He was getting angry with her. All of her motherly wisdom or whatever she was trying to push on him wasn't helping. "Well, what am I supposed to do about it, Emily? I can't just..."

"FIGURE IT OUT! God, Nik, I've heard enough of your whining about this girl, so you can't pretend it's nothing. I'm giving you a month off. Don't you dare come back to the office on thursday or any time this month."

"What am I supposed to do for all that time?"

"Ask her what she wants to do!" Emily turned around and walked away, leaving Nik standing there, feeling baffled.

He spent the plane ride thinking about her. She never left his mind, not even for a minute. He was getting closer and closer to her. When he got off the plane and took the car he tried to figure out what he would say, but nothing worked.

He walked into the little shack and sat on the floor next to the control panel that would let him down into the underground shelter. She was right there, and he still didn't have the words he was looking for.

* * *

Caroline closed the laptop. She had just talked to Stefan again. He was in an impossibly good mood, considering the situation. He kept looking off to the side and smiling. She could hear Rebecca's voice on the background. He gave her an apologetic look, and excused himself to go help her make dinner.

Caroline looked wistfully at the cans along the shelf. She would be eating microwaved soup alone for the the third day in a row. Nik or Klaus or whoever he was should be back by now. She had spent all day pacing around worrying about him. She hated it, wondering if he was alive or not. She hated that she even cared. What did it matter to her if something happened to him?

She touched her lips and thought about what had happened right before he left. She had all this time to sit and think about it, but she didn't know what to do. She wanted to be with him, but she still felt betrayed by him. He had lied about so much, and she saw a part of him she was terrified of. She didn't want to make the first move, not when she was still so unsure if she could trust him or of who he even was.

There was a beep, a click, the sound of metal sliding across metal. He was back.

She watched him climb down the ladder and turn to face her. He looked disheveled and filthy, but he was alive.

"Hey." He smiled at her.

She felt dizzy. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't know what to say or do or think. Everything faded away when he was standing there, looking at her like that.

"Hey."


	12. Chapter 12

He wanted to kick himself. _Hey? That was the best he could come up with? _

"You look nice." He added

She looked down and flushed with embarrassment. All there was to wear were his t-shirts and sweatpants, and she had taken to just wearing the shirt part since he left. She tugged at the hem, it barely covered her ass.

"Oh, um." She stumbled, finding herself growing redder. Almost as red as that patch on his shoulder. Wait, what? Was that blood?

"You're bleeding!" She squeaked out.

He looked over and saw the stain seeping though his shirt. A stitch must have popped.

"It's nothing." He shrugged.

"It's not nothing." She said, repeating the words Nik had said to her when she fell at the hotel. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed to sit down. She started to pull his shirt off so she could get to the injury.

He sighed as her hands grazed his skin. She noticed it and tried not to touch him so much as she pulled it the rest of the way off, being extra careful around the injury.

She rested an hand on his chest as she leaned closer to look at the blood soaked bandage.

"Your turn" He suggested, pulling at the hem of the long shirt she was wearing.

She swatted his hand away. "Stop."

"Fair's fair."

"I'm just trying to get a closer look at your injury. Besides, I'm not wearing anything under this."

His mouth hung open and his eyes wandered over the loose t shirt she was wearing, imagining himself pulling it off._ Nothing under it. She was wearing his shirt with nothing under it._

Caroline avoided his gaze and took a step back. "I didn't know you were coming back right now, I would have put more on." She muttered, looking away from him.

She adjusted her focus to the bandage, carefully pulling it off. The gash on his shoulder looked terrible. There were stitches running across it, but it looked as if two had ripped out. It was still bleeding.

Thick droplets of blood were leaking out of the opening. It wouldn't stop unless it was sewed up again. He looked over at it and started to get up from the bed. She pushed him back.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to sew it shut."

"No. Stay there, I'll do it."

"Caroline, you don't have to."

"Yes I do." She snipped, rummaging through the cabinets for the first aid kit. She pulled out the supplies. Antiseptic, bandages, tape. There was a little clear plastic box that held a few very sharp looking needles and some thread. She sat on the bed next to him and lined everything up. "Ok, antiseptic first."

He nodded and grabbed a handful of the blanket next to him, anticipating the sting. She dabbed it on with a cotton ball and jerked away when he let out a pained grunt.

He wrapped an arm around her back, trying to make her less afraid. She was acting like he was going to hit her or something.

"It's ok, you can keep doing it." He said.

She dabbed again, cleaning the rest of the wound, and he tried to keep a straight face, but she felt his arm tighten around her.

She looked down at the needle and thread. "Ok, I guess the next part is.."

"You haven't done this before."

"No"

"I can do it myself"

"I'll do it. Just tell me what to do"

She threaded the needle and knotted the thread. He pointed to the spots where she should push the needle in and out on either side of the gash. She positioned the needle, took a deep breath and pushed.

It wasn't going in.

"You have to push harder." He said.

"It's going to hurt."

"Yes. Have some fun with it. Revel in my pain."

"I'm not having fun with it. Thats not why I wanted to help."

"Why are you helping?"

"You helped me when I was hurt, even if the reason why you did it was fake, you still did it."

He nodded. There was a chance. She didn't hate him completely.

"Ok, this time press harder, The needle has to actually go through in order for this to work."

She bit her lip and pushed it though. He winced a little but tried not to let it show. Her stomach did a little flip when she looked over at his face and saw that he was in pain. It made her feel awful to have to be the one to push the needle in, but it needed to be done. She paused and waited for him to nod that it was ok to continue before re doing the second stitch. She got through the second stitch quickly and knotted it. Looking over her work, she dabbed away the excess blood and cut some gauze to cover the area. She felt his arm around her loosen a little bit while she taped a square of gauze on him and his face relaxed a bit.

He traced the bandage she had just applied and looked back at her. "Thank you."

She smiled and nodded.

He decided to press his luck by asking a question. "Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you hated me."

She shrugged.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Hate me."

"I'm not answering that question."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know. If I do or not."

"Oh."

They sat quietly for a while. She thought about how to figure out her answer and he thought about ways to convince her not to hate him.

"Tell me the truth." She said.

"The truth about what?"

"Everything. Tell me the true story about you. How you ended up here."

"Why do you want to know?"

"So I can decide. If I really hate you or not."

"How will you know if I'm telling you the truth?"

"You just have to." She pleaded. "Please. No more lies. Just tell me who you really are."

"You know who I am."

"Not really. I still don't understand how much of what I know about you is true. I still feel like you're two different people."

"Can't you just be ok with not knowing?"

"No. I can't do this without you being honest with me. Theres so much about you I don't know."

"I don't want you to know, I never wanted you to know these things about me. It doesn't mean I don't really care about you."

"That doesn't make any sense. How can you like me and want to hide things from me?"

"Because I liked how you looked at me. Before you knew, you looked at me like you weren't afraid of me. I wanted to keep that."

"Just tell me, please."

"You'll hate the answers."

"I need to know. I can't tell you how I feel about you unless I know who you really are."

"Ok." he nodded. "What do you want to know first?"

"Did you kill your mother?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He took a deep breath and dove in to the story. He had never told anyone other than Emily and his siblings the whole story. He ended up telling her more than just what happened that night. He went thought the whole story of how he ended up on Emily's doorstep as a frightened teenager and she turned him into a hardened killer, how she became a surrogate mother to him after that night.

He told her about how he lost years of contact with Elijah and Kol because they both blamed him for their mother's death, but how Rebecca never wavered in her support for him, and eventually was the one to get her brothers to speak again.

He told her the story of how Becca gave him the scare of her life when she snuck off to Budapest with Kol when she was 17 and how she ended getting kidnapped. He had to go in and drag her out, and she saw him kill her captors. The incident had changed her, making her more suspicious and hardened, and it had driven a wedge between him and Kol.

She sat and nodded, not showing any expression. Occasionally she would ask him to elaborate, or talk about certain events, but mostly she just listened.

"Why did your father hate you so much?"

"He wasn't really my father. My mother was with someone else. He hired those four men I just hunted down to kill the man - my biological father I suppose - with the odd request that they just kidnap him and let Mikael do the actual killing. I guess he impressed them, because he became part of their pack after that."

"He hated you for something you had no control over? Because you weren't his child by blood?"

"He was prideful, and I was a stain on his ego. I brought shame on him by simply existing, and he made sure to remind me of that every day of my life."

"Thats the only reason he came after you?" She asked.

He gave a sheepish smile. "Well, a few other things account for that as well. See, my siblings all eventually chose me over him. Except for Finn, of course, who chose none of us. And then there's the part where I ended up in the same business as him, and I'm much better at it."

"Cocky much?"

"I'm still alive, aren't I? The better killer is the one who doesn't get themselves killed."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Do you like killing people?"

"Yes."

She felt a shiver run down her spine. She had asked for the truth, but he was right, she hated the answer.

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's true. I like doing my job."

"But they're people."

"Not all people are the same. It's not like I would..." He reached out to her but she flinched away. "Caroline, I would never do anything to you. You're safe with me."

She looked back at him, afraid and not entirely convinced. He hated it, that look. It was like the one Becca had given him, when he pulled her away from the lifeless bodies of her kidnappers. She had looked at what he did to protect her and saw him differently. It was easy to convince his sister that family was different and that he would do whatever it took to protect her, but how could he make Caroline the same promise and expect her to believe him?

"Ok last one."

"Alright?"

"If I didn't find out about what you really did for work, would you have ever told me?"

"Probably not for a long time. I would have to be sure I could trust you to keep it a secret. And I would hate telling you, because I liked the way we were when you thought I was a normal person. I would have wanted to keep that for as long as possible. But eventually I would have told you. As much as I liked being someone else with you I didn't like lying to you."

She just nodded again, taking in all the information.

He tried to read her, but it was difficult to see how she felt about it all. She kept her voice even and her face expressionless, except for when she returned his soft smiles that would creep up whenever he talked about his siblings.

"So what now?" she asked.

"Well, there isn't any immediate danger anymore. Mikael and the four men he hunted with had all burned a lot of personal and professional bridges. They would kill and die for each other, but I doubt very much anyone else would kill on the behalf of one of them."

"Ok."

"So I just need a night to rest, then in the morning, I'll take you to the others, and get you all on a plane back to the resort. You'll continue your lives as it was. I expect Becca will want to go out there with Stefan as well."

"What about you?"

"I don't know where I'm going. I have a month off work. I guess I can go anywhere."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Are we still doing the thing where I have to give you the honest answer?"

"Yes. Honest answer."

"You'll hate it." He warned.

"Tell me anyway."

"I want to go wherever you are."

She shook her head and looked away from him. It was such a Nik thing to say.

"Let's just go to sleep. You probably need a lot of rest." She said.

He pulled off his shoes and lied down next to her, hesitantly wrapping an arm around her after she flipped off the light and settled against him. She didn't push it away.

"I don't hate you." She said softly.


	13. Chapter 13

He passed a cup of tea over to her and propped the box of cereal up on the bed. They were sitting up with their legs still under the covers, enjoying a quiet breakfast of nonperishable food. There wasn't any milk so they were just grabbing handfuls of the cereal out of the box as they sipped their tea.

She let herself lean into him a little as she held the warm cup in her hands. She was trying not to look at him, but she kept sneaking glances, and he was usually looking back at her.

It was different now. She had a better understanding of who he really was. It freaked her out, but it made sense. He wasn't some random psycho who just started killing people out of nowhere. There were reasons for why he was the way he was. There were parts of him that matched up to the Nik she thought she knew, but there was so much different as well.

"It's good." She said to him, motioning at the cup of tea he handed her.

He wrinkled his nose "It's dreadful. Water from the microwave, no milk in here. terrible.

She shrugged "I can't tell the difference."

He shook his head and grabbed another handful of cereal.

"I'll make you better tea once we're out of this place."

"I thought you weren't coming with us." She said.

He reached over and grabbed some of the cereal. "All you have to do is ask."

"What makes you think I want to ask you to come with us?"

"Because you don't hate me." He said, remembering his words from the night before.

"Not hating someone and wanting to be with that person are not the same."

He nodded and took another sip.

"Well, as soon as you're ready" he said.

She looked at him, confused.

"We can go now. No need to stay here any longer. I'll help you get back to the island so you can meet your friends."

"We're not going to the safe house where they are?"

"No need." he shrugged. "They can meet you at the airport. I'll come with you until you get on the plane that'll take you directly to the island, and then you're free."

"You're just going to dump me on a plane by myself?"

"I thought you would prefer the solitude."

She bit her lip. She wasn't ready for everything to be over, to never see him again, but she also didn't want to admit that to him.

"I think we should wait another day."

He looked surprised. "Why?"

"Your arm is still pretty bad. I don't want to have to sew it up again. I think you should give it another day to rest."

He noticed she was looking away as she spoke to him. She was trying to hide her face.

"Ok" he agreed.

"And I don't want to go on the plane by myself either. Then I'll be wandering around the airport all alone and I think you should be there. Just in case someone's still after us. It's the least you could do after kidnapping me."

He smiled. She wanted him around, even if she wasn't saying it. "Very well. I suppose I can stay with you until you meet up with the Salvatores and my sister and then I'll leave."

"Maybe you should stay for a while."

"You want me to stay?"

"No. I just think maybe you should stay for a while because your sister is there, and I know you care about her and you didn't really get a chance to be around her because of everything that happened."

He looked at her. She was still looking away as she spoke to him, a blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"I wouldn't mind spending some time with Becca, since I don't have anything else to do anyway."

"Family's important." She said, still looking away to hide her smile.

"It is." He agreed.

* * *

"That's not a word." Rebecca said.

She was looking down at the scrabble board. Damon had just put down a scramble of letters she was certain didn't make any word in the English language. Stefan and Elena had both gone to bed but the two of them stayed up and were playing the game to pass the time.

"Oh, really? I thought you were so smart. You've never heard of this word?"

"Because it isn't a word." She laughed.

"You wanna bet?"

"I'm certain."

"Then let's make it interesting."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Loser has to cook breakfast?" he suggested.

"Naked." She added, calling his bluff.

"Even better" he smiled.

She extended her hand and he shook it. She walked out of the room to find a dictionary and came back and tossed it at him.

"You know, I can see why my brother likes you, you're a lot more fun than I expected you to be. And you're the only person I've ever met who could kick my ass this hard at scrabble. Too bad you've got that brother."

"Hey, be nice about Nik. He's saving all our asses."

"Yeah, from his mess!"

"He wouldn't have been anywhere near you if you hadn't hired him. Honestly Damon, how can you be so judgmental about what he does when you're the one who hired him?"

"I'm not judging what he does, I just don't like that someone who does what he does is all dating my friend. It's creepy."

"Funny. Nik feels the same way about Stefan and I."

"Stefan isn't a killer."

"Nik doesn't want me involved in this world. He's kept me as far away from it as he could. You and Stefan, your lives are like his, the moving around, the secrets, the looming fear of a lifetime of jail or worse if you ever get caught."

"So why are you with Stefan?"

"Stefan is... He's like no one else. I'd rather be with him and risk everything than have a normal life with someone else."

He nodded "I still think you and Stefan make more sense than Caroline and your brother."

"I don't think they're together anymore anyway." She shrugged.

"Really? It seems Elena left me out of the loop, gossip wise."

"I talk to him as often as possible, the way he talks about her, it sounds like she doesn't like him anymore."

"Can you blame her? He lied to us about everything. She finds out he's a killer by watching him kill his own father, than he kidnaps her and takes her out to the middle of nowhere. Not exactly a great third date."

"You don't understand him."

"Obviously. I don't speak psycho."

She rolled her eyes. "Be nice."

"Why should I?"

"Because he really cares about her. She's the first person I've seen him feel this way about for as long as I can remember. I don't think he's had a girl who lasted longer than a weekend since before our mother died."

"So I should be cool with it because he has _feelings _for her? Thats like throwing my friend in a tank with a hungry shark, but oh, the shark _really likes her_."

"He's not so bad. You should give him a chance. Now stop stalling and look up that word that is certainly not in the dictionary."

He leafed through the pages. "You know, I was saying I could see why Stefan likes you, but I guess tomorrow morning I'll _really _see why he likes you."

She just shook her head. He stopped on a page, looking smug, and suddenly his expression changed.

"What? Can't find the word?" She laughed.

He tried to hide the dictionary, but she was quicker and wrestled it out of his hands.

"Ha! Not a word at all! I'll be seeing you at breakfast. I like pancakes, by the way."

* * *

The next morning Stefan got out of bed after Rebecca. He could hear her laughing with Damon and Elena in the kitchen, and something was cooking that smelled amazing. He walked in and kissed Becca on the forehead and walked towards the coffee pot to get a cup.

"OH NO. GOD, WHY?" He screamed, covering his eyes.

A very naked Damon just smiled and put a plate of pancakes on the middle of the table.

"Don't blame me, It was your girlfriend's idea for everyone's pancakes to be served with a side of sausage."

"I can't deal with this." Stefan grumbled, feeling around the countertop for a cup, pouring one while looking away from Damon. He walked out of the room shielding his eyes.

"It looks like some things run in the family!" Rebecca shouted over at him as he walked out.

* * *

Mason Lockwood looked around him. The hallway was clear. He hovered over the door and set to work picking the lock.

Once he was in he checked all of the rooms. No one was there. It looked like the maids had been by, because the towels were all untouched and the beds were all made. He looked around. There were bags of makeup and toothbrushes on the bathroom counters, suitcases with crumpled clothes falling out on the floors, and a few half empty bottles of wine sitting on the counters.

They could have been out all day, it was hard to tell. He wasn't sure when they would be back. He looked around the rooms for the best place to hide a camera, deciding on a shelf that faced the main door. He slipped out and went back to his room.

He set up the laptop and waited. Any minute now and they'd be walking back in. He was only one floor below them so he could get there fast. The Salvatore brothers had something to do with Tyler's death and he intended to make them pay.

* * *

Nik smiled at Caroline, who was sitting on the bed reading one of his books. She was still wearing just one of his shirts. It might have had something to do with the fact that he turned the temperature in their little shelter up a bit, making it entirely too hot.

He was just wearing the pants, he hadn't bothered to put a shirt back on after taking his off to re-bandage his stitches. He was sitting at the computer desk, sketching her. He didn't tell her what he was drawing, and he didn't plan on showing her. She had been so engrossed in the book, so still and fixated on it that she hadn't even noticed until she put it down to take a break.

He watched her shift and sit up and he could see that she was wearing a pair of his boxer briefs under his t-shirt. She hadn't had time to pack clothes when they ran, and she couldn't keep wearing the outfit she wore they day they got there. It was hard for him to remember that she wasn't his girl. She was sitting on his bed, wearing his underwear and t-shirt, reading his book. He could sit there for hours, just looking at her, imagining her as a permanent fixture in his life.

He looked down at the sketch he was working on. Her, laying on her stomach, absorbed in the book. He was just putting a few finishing touches on it.

"What's that?" She asked.

He closed the sketchbook and put it in a drawer. "Just writing a list of things to get ready for our trip tomorrow."

"No, you were drawing something."

"OK I was drawing something."

"Can I see?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because?"

"Yes."

She got up and walked over to him. "I want to see." She said, holding out her hand.

He smiled at her brazenness, but there was no way he was going to show her. "Not a chance."

She tried to get past him to reach the drawer he slid the book into but he blocked her way. She darted from side to side, trying to get past him, but he was quicker. When she kept trying he picked her up and carried her a few steps away, while she flailed to try and get away. His arms caught on the shirt as he carried her and the boxer briefs she was wearing were in full view. She was so glad she decided to wear underwear, even if they were his.

His hand grazed across the side of her stomach as he set her down and she made a scrunched up face.

"What was that?"

"What?" she asked, trying to dart past him.

"You're ticklish."

"No, I'm not."

He reached over to touch the same spot and she flinched away, but she was smiling. He caught her and lightly grazed his fingertips over the spot. She scrunched up her face again and giggled.

"You are!" he laughed, pinning her down so he could keep making her squirm.

"No, stop it!" She was laughing harder.

He kept at it and she wiggled around, trying to get away but laughing and making that adorable face.

"Thats not fair" she stammered out, reaching for him.

He let her move her fingertips over the same spot on his stomach, the light touch felt wonderful, but it didn't have the effect she was looking for.

"No you have to be ticklish somewhere.." her hands were all over, trying to find a ticklish spot. He let her try, but she was getting frustrated, pawing at him without results.

She grazed along his spine with a fingernail and he shivered.

"Ticklish?" She asked, feeling triumphant.

"No, just, that feels nice."

She did it again. He stopped tickling her and touched the side of her face.

"Flip over" She suggested, and he hesitantly got off of her and laid down on his stomach.

She swing a leg over him and sat on his butt, lightly tracing up and down his back with her fingernails.

"That's nice" he murmured.

She traced different shapes and patterns and watched his eyes flutter shut.

"Keep doing that." he said and she repeated the motions.

Slowly, she swung a leg over so she was sitting to his side instead of over him. She looked over at where his sketchbook was, still tracing shaped along his back.

She jumped up suddenly and ran to the desk, pulling the sketchbook out before he could even notice what she was doing. He looked up, confused about why she wasn't scratching his back anymore and he saw her holding it,

"No!" he shouted, running over to grab it, but it was too late. She had seen. Caroline was flipping through the book. There were landscapes, animals, still life objects, some people, each with a date next to it. Then there was her. The first one was her lounging at the pool, looking up at someone with contempt. There was one of her in the dress she wore the first night they were at the club. One of her dancing in her hotel room, holding a bottle of champagne. He had left out the bruises that were on her face at the time. The pictures of her were from every day they spent together, and there was nothing else. The latest one was from just earlier that day. Her laying on the bed reading.

"They're all me." She looked stunned. "You drew all these pictures of me."

He nodded.

"Why?"

"You're beautiful."

"You can't just go drawing pictures of me like this!"

"I already did."

"You can't do stuff like this! People don't do this."

"I don't understand."

She shook her head. "You have to stop this, whatever your game is, trying to get me to fall in love with you or something."

"I didn't want you to see them!"

"Then why do you have them? Why do you keep drawing me?"

"Because you're going to leave!" He shouted.

"What?" She whispered.

"You're going to leave. I wanted to have something, so I could still look at you every day."

"Klaus."

"No. You tried to warn me not to get involved with you, you tried to protect me from what you're involved in. It should have been the other way around. But I'm not good like you. I'm never going to try to push you away even though I know you're better without me. You'll decide that yourself sooner or later."

"Stop it! Stop talking like that!"

"It's true, isn't it?"

"Klaus."

"Isn't it?"

"This isn't fair. You can't expect me to know! I don't know what to do about you. Everything keeps happening so fast and you're demanding that I make some kind of decision and I can't."

"Just be honest, Caroline! Be honest with me and with yourself."

"I don't want you to go away. I want more time with you. But I can't promise you forever or that I won't be afraid of you. I was trapped when I was with Tyler, I couldn't leave when I wanted to, because of what he would do. I don't want to go through that all over again."

"I'm not Tyler."

"I know. But I can't figure out what you are. You're scary."

"That's not who I want to be with you."

"I need more time."

"Well, love, I happen to have a month off from work, so I think that's plenty of time for me to convince you that you should keep me around."

She gave him a wary smile. "I'm not going to make it easy for you."

"I'll take that as a challenge."


	14. Chapter 14

Caroline found the bag that held the dirty clothes she had worn on their trip over there and brought it into the bathroom. She had tried to clean them with shampoo and hang them to dry over the shower, but they still looked gross. It was either this or make the trip in his clothes, so she pulled on the mud stained outfit.

He was organizing things around the little shelter, looking over at maps, checking things on the laptop, writing lists. She tiptoed around, trying not to interrupt whatever he was working on at the moment. He had his serious "Klaus" face on, and she didn't want to risk setting him off when he was like this.

"Road's out" he commented, without looking up from the laptop.

She turned to see if he was speaking to someone over video chat or talking to her.

He looked up at her. "We'll have to walk part of what I was planning on driving. These dirt roads turn to mud, eventually the car will get stuck."

"Great." She muttered, looking down at her flip flops. Not exactly the best footwear for trekking through a muddy jungle.

"Next time I save your life, I'll try not to do it during the rainy season."

She rolled her eyes at him "That's not what I meant."

"We could always just wait in here until the roads dry up. It'll be a few weeks. I certainly don't mind your company."

"Forget it. I'm not spending another day in this tin can with you. Just let me wear a pair of your shoes or something, ok? I can't hike through the mud in flip flops."

He pulled a pair of boots out and looked at them "They'll be a little big on you."

"I'll wear extra socks or something." She reached for the shoes but he pulled them back.

"What's in it for me?"

"What?"

"What do I get in exchange for the shoes?"

She put her hands on her hips and scrunched her brow. "What do you want?"

He just smiled.

"Forget it!" She laughed as she swatted him.

"It was worth a try" he shrugged. "How about a date?"

"A date?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes. I'll give you the shoes if you agree to go on a date with me when we get back to the resort. I get to pick the place."

"No way."

"No shoes, then." He shrugged.

"No extravagant gifts or fancy dinners." She said.

"I believe this is my date. I get to pick what we do. I certainly don't want to rule out so many things."

"I'm not going to just go along with whatever crazy thing you're about to come up with."

"No shoes, then." he shrugged.

"Can you at least promise not to murder anyone on this date?"

"I want a loophole. Self defense, in defense of you."

"That seems fair." she hesitated. "No groping me without my permission."

"Is that how you think I would behave on a date?"

"Agree to my terms."

"Very Well. I agree to the terms you've set forth."

"Fine." she grumbled, and grabbed the shoes.

* * *

He revved the engine again, sending the tires spinning and spraying mud backwards.

"It looks like this is it for the car. We'll walk the rest of the way."

She pouted. "How far away is the airport?"

"It's another five or six miles to town, once we're there we can probably catch a ride to the air field."

"Five or six miles?"

"Too much walking for you, princess?"

"It this heat and with all this mud? Yeah, it's a bit much."

"I can try to give the car a push, if it lifts out of this pit we'd probably get another mile or two before it gets stuck again."

She nodded and he begrudgingly got out of the car.

He told her to sit in the drivers seat and step on the gas when he said so, so she climbed over to the spot where he had been sitting.

"Now!" he shouted and she pressed hard on the gas. The tires spun furiously as mud splashed up at him but the car didn't move. He took a breath and braced himself against the car. "Again!" he shouted, and she stepped on the gas again.

He had tried it again and again, but the car wasn't budging and he was covered in mud. It had sprayed him from head to toe and he paused to wipe it away from his eyes before opening the driver's door to pull Caroline out.

She gasped when she saw him. He was caked in mud all over. She waited for him to yell at her about how he wouldn't have had to get so dirty if it wasn't for her complaining about the walk. He didn't yell, however, he didn't even look bothered by it. She hesitantly took his dirty hand and let him pull her out of the car.

When he didn't drop her hand right away she gave him a confused look, only to see the devilish grin that let her know what was coming.

"Klaus, no!" she shouted, but he was stronger and she couldn't get away in time.

He pulled her into a hug, effectively smearing the mud he was covered in all over her. She tried to break free as he took a dirty hand and wiped it in her hair, but he wasn't letting go.

"No! not my hair! You're evil! Stop!" she was shouting at him, but she was smiling under all her protests. He felt the thrill of having her pressed up against him, smiling like that as he mashed more mud into her hair.

She wriggled free and scooped up a handful of the mud, and mashed it into his shirt. His eyes widened at her brazen retaliation and he bent down to grab a handful and chased after her with it. She was stomping around trying to escape him, and he took his time catching her, not wanting the game to be over.

He caught her and she held up her hands as a sign of truce, giggling.

"Come on, sweetheart, we've got a long walk ahead of us." he said offering her his hand. For once she didn't balk at his little pet names for her, and she took his hand, lacing her muddy fingers with his as they walked down the road.

* * *

Rebecca looked out the window of the plane. They were high above the clouds and had another hour before they'd land on the island. This plane was bigger than the one they had taken on their way out. They didn't have to worry about being followed anymore so they could take a regular commercial flight.

Damon and Elena were asleep in the row next to them. She hadn't completely warmed up to Stefan's friends yet, but they were getting there. She argued with Damon all the time, but it became a fun kind of arguing, and it seemed to amuse Stefan. Elena was more quiet than the boys, and Rebecca didn't really see the point in bothering to be friendly with her, but she would try to be a little nicer if it was what Stefan wanted.

Stefan looked up from the magazine he was reading over at Rebecca. She caught his eye and tilted her chin towards the bathroom at the front of the cabin.

He gave her a confused look and she slowly got up, motioning for him to follow.

"Are you crazy?" he whispered.

She just smiled and walked down the aisle, wagging her finger at him to follow.

He looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, and hesitantly followed her.

* * *

A small plane sat on a tarmac field just outside town. There were a few little outbuildings and a lopsided fence running around the field, but the place looked pretty deserted. They walked along the tarmac towards a single man sitting outside in a lawn chair. He wore a Hawaiian print shirt and a big straw hat, and his face was obscured by the book he held out in front of him.

"Hey Jimmy, we need to get here, as soon as you're ready to leave." Nik said, handing the man on the folding chair the location of the closest private airport to the resort.

"Nik! How's my favorite customer?" The man said, still absorbed in his book "Someone will be very excited that you showed up today."

Jimmy looked up from his book at the two mud caked figures in front of him. "Fuck if I'm going to let you on my plane like that. Hose off." He pointed to the hose coiled up along the side of the little outbuilding his office was in.

"Seriously, Jimmy."

"Seriously, Nik. I like you, but you and your girlfriend aren't going to track mud all over my plane. Wash up and then we can go."

"Alright. Washing up." Nik conceded.

"I'm not his girlfriend, by the way." Caroline added.

"How rude of me." Nik said "Jimmy, this is Caroline. Not my girlfriend. Yet."

Caroline bent down to shake Jimmy's hand. "Nice to meet you." She felt a cold shot of water hit her in the back "Eek!" she screeched and turned around to see a precocious seven year old holding the hose.

The little boy pointed again and squirted Nik with the hose.

"Robbie!" He shouted, and charged at the kid, picking him up and spinning him around.

The boy laughed and Nik wrestled the hose from him, and ruffled his hair.

Robbie held out his hand expectantly and Nik dug through his pockets. He found a coin, wiped the mud of of it and pressed it into Robbie's hand.

"I don't have any of this one yet, where's it from?" Robbie asked.

"The Cayman Islands. Hold on, I think I have another one you don't have yet." Nik searched through his wallet and found another coin. "Bosnia? Is that crossed off the map yet?" he asked.

"Score!" shouted Robbie, who shoved the coins in his pocket and hugged Nik. He scurried back to the office to hide his loot.

Caroline walked over to Nik and gave him a quizzical look.

"Jimmy's kid." he said "I bring him coins from different places whenever I'm here. He wants to collect one from every country."

"He likes you." She commented.

"Don't sound so surprised." He said lightly, and he turned the hose back on her.

"Klaus!" she shouted and reached out to block him. He let her take the hose and she drenched him with it.

"Why am I always Klaus when you're mad at me?"

She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to bend down so she could get the mud out of his hair. She looked over at the little kid peeking out the window of the office as she rinsed out Klaus's hair. He had looked so excited to see him when they arrived, she wondered how often Klaus spent time with this little kid.

"Alright, love, your turn." He reached for the hose again and started rinsing off her hair and her back.

"I told you not to call me that."

"Can I tell you not to call me Klaus, since you seem to think of that as my evil twin or something?"

"Nope, I'm going to keep calling you that when you're being Klaus."

"Fine, then I'm going to keep calling sweetheart, and love and every other name that makes you scrunch your nose like that."

"I'll be annoyed with you."

"You're always annoyed with me." He shrugged.

* * *

They were making their way through the airport, looking for a good place to stop and wait to meet up with Caroline and Nik. Rebecca was the only one who wasn't openly annoyed that Nik would be staying at the resort, and even she was a little annoyed that her controling older brother couldn't just let her have some alone time wtih Stefan. At least he wouldn't be staying in the same room as them. Everyone knew Caroline probably couldn't wait to get some space between herself and the hitman she had been forced into a cramped shelter with for the past week.

Stefan checked his phone. There was a message from a burner cell number he didn't recognize. It was from Caroline.

"She says they're running late, so we shouldn't wait for them here. They'll meet us back at the resort."

"Fine by me." Rebecca shrugged. "More time to get you all to myself before my big brother swoops in and tries to scare you away."

"He can try all he wants, I'll take more than an overprotective brother to scare me away."

"I'm starving" Damon interrupted. "Can we get the good tacos on our way back to the rooms?"

"The ones in the South tower?" Stefan asked.

"No, the ones in that little stand by the beach." Damon responded.

Rebecca shook her head. "No, the ones we got by the pool were the best ones."

"The pool ones, are you crazy?" Stefan responded.

"Says the guy who gets food in the South tower." Snorted Damon.

"They're better!" Stefan protested.

"I think a blind taste test is in order." Elena suggested. They were approaching the entrance of the resort. "I think each of you should go pick up the tacos you like, and then we'll see which ones are really the best."

"Don't you have a favorite?" Rebecca asked.

"Nope, but I would kill for a shower right about now. I just want to go back to the room and have a quiet moment by myself. I'll meet you guys up there."

The four of them parted ways.

* * *

Caroline flipped through the old issue of GQ someone had left tucked into the seat on the plane. They were only hours away from the resort. Tonight she'd probably sleep up in the room in the penthouse she had shared with Tyler, and Nik would be down in his room on the fifth floor. It felt weird going back to sleeping alone. It was strangely nice to have him there next to her. She would never admit it to him, but it made her feel safe to be near him. The others would have a field day if they knew the details of what went on between the two of them. She dreaded the conversations with Stefan and Elena she would have to have, they would interrogate her within an inch of her life about her time alone with Nik and Damon would tease her for the next decade about her terrible choices in men.

Rebecca would be attached to Stefan for the rest of their trip, so she'd be surrounded by couples. Fantastic. As if her awkward situation with Nik or Klaus or whoever he was today wasn't bad enough, she'd probably have to sit around and watch everyone else get all PDA with each other in front of her.

Jimmy called out to Nik from the cockpit "Hey, Nik, if he's annoying you, just send him back up here."

"Not a chance." Nik called back.

Caroline looked over across the row and saw Robbie practicing a magic trick and Nik pretending to fall for it.

"That is my card! How did you do that?" Nik exclaimed.

Robbie beamed with pride. "A magician never reveals his secret."

The little boy shuffled the deck and held it out for Nik to pick another card.

"Now show the audience." Robbie commanded.

Nik looked over at Caroline, and waved the card at her, a hand clapped over Robbie's eyes so he couldn't peek.

Robbie took the card back and shuffled it into the deck. Caroline got absorbed in the whole thing, watching Nik laugh and joke with the little kid, pretending to be surprised and amazed by the silly little card tricks. She couldn't believe how patient and natural he was with him.

Robbie eventually got bored and scampered off to sit with his dad in the cockpit. The door slammed behind him as Robbie pulled himself up into the copilot seat.

She looked over and caught Nik's eye. He smiled back and she looked down, pretending to be interested in her magazine. After a minute she looked again, and he was giving her an intense look. A Klaus look. Before she could protest he was moving over to her. She stood up by her seat but he moved his body so she didn't have anywhere to go. Her back was to the wall and he was only inches away, blocking her escape.

"Don't think you can just" She started.

"Just what, love?"

"Just be all adorable with that little kid and it'll make me want to be with you."

"Oh, that didn't work? I guess I'll have to find some other way to be adorable on our date, what would convince you?"

"We are not going on a-"

"Shoes" he reminded her with a smirk.

"Hmmft." she replied, pouting a bit.

He had gotten closer, letting one hand trail up and down her arm. She shoved him away.

"Stop cornering me like this, you psycho. I'm not something you can hunt."

"Do you really want me to back away?" he asked, getting even closer.

"Yes." She lied.

"You always blink when you're lying." he whispered, making her flinch as she could feel the heat of his breath on the skin of her neck.

"I'm not lying" she stuttered, looking away from him.

He ignored her protests and leaned closer to her. She put her hand on his chest, halfheartedly trying to push him away.

His lips met her neck and he placed a soft row of kisses along it. She felt her body betray her as the hand that was pushing him away gripped on to his shirt and pull him closer. He slowed down and worked his way back up from her shoulder to her chin, stoping to nibble and suck at the delicate skin. At first he was gentle, but after a moan escaped from her lips he pressed harder.

When she pulled him closer and wrapped a leg around his side, he slammed her against the wall and sucked ferociously at her neck, making her gasp and moan.

"Nik" She whispered, hooking her leg behind him and trying to draw him in closer.

He just continued, finding the spot that made her press herself against him harder.

"Nik, stop, you're going to leave a mark."

"Good" he growled, and kept going.

"Not. Fair." She stammered.

"Make it fair." He challenged.

With that she knotted a hand in his hair, pulling his face away from her neck and tilting his head back so his neck was exposed. She glared at him and he smirked, knowing he had her exactly where he wanted her.

She kissed along his neck until she settled on a spot and sucked hard on it. His hand pushed on the back of her head, encouraging her to be even rougher. He backed into one of the chairs and pulled her on top of him, her lips never leaving his skin. She nipped at him and trailed her kisses up, tugging on his ear with her teeth as she glanced down to see the tell tale bruise already starting to form on his neck.

She switched to the other side of his neck, attacking him, marking him, getting back at him double for leaving a mark on her. He let out a noise that made it clear he was enjoying it but she didn't care. His hands were moving all over her, and she wanted to punish him for making her feel so good. She felt his hand slip under her shirt, moving up and down the bare skin of her back. Every time he touched or kissed her she had felt herself flush with a mixture of arousal and fury. She sucked harder at his neck and felt his fingers dig into her thighs.

He pulled her away and started to bring his face to meet hers.

"I'm not going to kiss you." She challenged.

"Whatever you say, love."

He brought his lips to hers and she froze for a second, but she couldn't hold out. She felt herself melting into him, their lips moving together with urgency. Every kiss made her forget the million reasons why she could never be with him. She didn't care about tomorrow, she just needed him now. Soon she was moving against him, meeting each of his kisses with a more aggressive one. She rocked against his lap and felt a heat growing between them. It made her angry how much she wanted to be with him and how he could so easily get her to do what he wanted, so she kissed him harder, unleashing all her anger on him.

She slid against his lap, creating an agonizing friction. He gripped her ass and moved her hips against himself faster. She hummed in pleasure at the feeling and sucked on his lower lip. Once she let go he pushed against her, capturing her lips with another rough kiss.

Neither of them heard the footsteps approaching.

"EWWWW!" Robbie shrieked, looking horrified at Caroline straddling Nik's lap, her hands in his hair and his on her ass.

Caroline shot up looking guilty.

"Sorry" Nik smiled at the boy "She can't keep her hands off me."

Caroline glared at him.

Robbie just wrinkled his nose. "Dad says we're landing now so you should put your seat belts on."

Caroline tried to compose herself as she sat in the seat next to Nik and pulled on the seat belt.

Robbie plopped down on her other side and smiled up at her. "Wow." he gasped "That's a crazy bruise on your neck. Did you get hurt?"

"No, uh, I'm fine." She stuttered.

"How did it happen?" He asked her, looking curious.

"I um.. there was a .. a bird flew into it?" She answered lamely.

"Wow your face is turning really red." Robbie smiled at her "Why is your face so red?"

She could hear Nik snickering and wanted to haul off and slap him.

* * *

Elena closed the door behind her and went straight to the shower. She let the hot water wash down over her and tried to wash away all the stress of the past week. She didn't hear the sound of the main door opening as she washed her hair.

Mason had been waiting, watching. The Salvatore guy's girlfriend would make a great hostage. He could use her to lure them to him, much easier than going after both of them in one shot. It was a credit to his good luck that she happened to enter the penthouse alone. He slipped in and cracked the bathroom door open. There she was.

Elena saw the figure in the corner of her eye.

"Damon, that was fast. Are the others back too? I'm starving."

He didn't respond.

She wiped the soap away from her face. "Damon?"

She turned around and saw the unfamiliar man in her bathroom. He charged at her, covering her mouth with a towel before she even got the chance to scream.


	15. Chapter 15

"This isn't the airport" Caroline looked out the window at the field they had landed in.

"Not quite the main airport, Jimmy's not exactly welcome there." Nik smirked.

Jimmy was unlocking the doors and carefully lowering the stairs so they could walk out of the plane.

"I maintain that the suitcase full of weed was left on the plane by one of my passengers." Jimmy smiled.

"And the assault rifles?" Nik laughed.

"Self protection. I had a permit for those."

"Under which name?" Nik joked.

"Like you're one to talk, is it Night or Smith this week? Do you still have that passport that says your name is James Bond? That was always my favorite."

Caroline looked up "Wait, is Night not your real last name? Is your name even Niklaus?"

"I usually use Nik as my first name when I'm working, it's the most common sounding variation of my real name. Niklaus is really my name. But my last name is actually Mikaelson."

"Niklaus Mikaelson. Wow, that's a mouthful."

He raised his eyebrows and smirked, clearly taking her words to mean something less innocent than she intended.

"You said it, love."

"Gross, that's not what I meant."

He leaned close and whispered so only she could hear him. "You didn't seem to think it was so gross that time you wrapped your pretty little lips around my-"

"Child on the plane, Klaus!"

"I'm not a child, I'm a magician!" Robbie protested.

"Thats right, and I owe the magician a reward for the in flight entertainment. Jimmy, is there time?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I was going to run a few errands while I'm here. If you want to take him, be my guest. Arms dealers get a little weirded out by seven year old showing up for a trade anyway."

"Looks like I have you for the rest of the day." Nik smiled, patting Robbie on the back.

Caroline looked at Jimmy like he was crazy. "You're trusting him to babysit your kid?"

Jimmy smiled. "I can't think of anyone I'd trust more with Robbie."

The way he spoke suggested there was some kind of story behind his sentiments, but he was choosing not to share. He opened up a trick panel in the wall and started loading a bunch of guns into a trunk. "Do you mind keeping him overnight? I might run a bit late with this stuff. These guys never show up on time."

"No problem" Nik shrugged. "We'll stay at the place from last time."

Caroline was about to protest about how they were supposed to be getting back to her friends, but she knew she would feel like a jerk for ruining the little kid's plans so she kept her mouth shut. Besides, she was intrigued by watching Nik interact with the little kid. It was a side of him she never expected.

"Alright, I'm thinking SplashTown?" Nik suggested.

Robbie shouted and jumped up and down. "SplashTown! SplashTown!"

Jimmy looked up "Nik, there's a bag with his swimsuit and a few changes of clothes over the first row of seats. And don't just feed him junk like you did last time."

"Which car?" Nik asked.

Jimmy pointed to the little outbuilding the plane was parked next to. "Take the Jeep, I need the SUV."

Caroline felt a little hand wrap around her as Robbie marched her out of the plane and into the car. Once they were out on the road he fell asleep across the back seat.

She looked at Nik, waiting for an explanation of what she just got roped into. They were supposed to be going back to her friends. Whatever their plans were for the day, it seemed like something that was routine to him. Did her regularly go on vacations with a random smuggler and a little kid?

"You've been here before?" She asked. He seemed to know his way around the island pretty well.

"Your friends aren't the only ones who run drugs on this island, sweetheart. The smarter traders around here hire the likes of me for protection."

"And is taking little kids to water parks part of your job?" She challenged.

"Jimmy and I have had a professional relationship since I got started in this business. Once his ex died and he got full custody of Robbie, I made a point to spend more time around them socially."

"You said you don't have friends."

"I don't. Jimmy and I will always be more like business associates. We've both been in this too long to get sentimental about things. Bur Robbie..." he trailed off.

"What happened to Robbie's mother?"

"Heroin overdose. He was in the apartment with her. He was alone in there for three days after she died before someone found him. He was four."

"Oh my god."

"After that, he was around all the time. This haunted little kid sitting on a trunk full of guns while his dad made trades. He'll never be able to go to school or have friends over his house, he'll never get a normal family. I work with Jimmy a lot. I just wanted to try and give the kid more of a normal life. So I occasionally spend time with him, doing things normal kids get to do."

Caroline looked into the back seat. She felt her heart breaking for the sleeping little boy back there. He had seemed so silly and carefree, she had no idea what he had already been through at such a young age.

She looked out the window and watched the landscape whip past them. She was looking away from him but she could still see him out of the corner of her eye. He kept glancing over towards her. She saw him hesitantly reach towards her hand with his free one, but pull back. She felt a little smug knowing the big bad killer was too nervous to try to hold her hand.

They stopped at a little shop so she and Nik could buy bathing suits. He just pulled a pair of trunks off the rack and put them on the counter, but she took her time, looking around for just the right one, and then trying on seven different options. Nik and Robbie almost got kicked out for dueling with pool noodles while they impatiently waited for her to pick something.

They arrived at a hotel that seemed to cater to families with kids. There were bright colored cartoon characters decorating the walls and the tvs in the lobby were all tuned to the disney channel. Nik checked them in while Robbie dragged Caroline over to the shelf full of video games and puzzles you could rent and bring back to the rooms. He wanted to show her the ones he played with Nik the last time they stayed there. As they walked down the hall to their room Robbie took each of their hands and walked between them, chatting about which ride he wanted to go on first at SpalshTown. Caroline was uneasily aware of how they must have looked like a family to anyone who walked by.

Nik sent Robbie into the bathroom to change, and as soon as the door shut, he was pulling off his own clothes and changing into the trunks he just bought.

Caroline let out a squeak of protest and turned bright red.

"Nothing you haven't seen before" he shrugged.

She just turned around and waited for Robbie to hurry up so she could go and change in privacy.

She grabbed her purse as they went out the door, but Nik only stuffed a few cards and his keys in his pocket, leaving his phone and the rest of his stuff in the room. "I wouldn't, Everything that comes with us is likely to get soaked."

She hesitated and put the bag down, reaching in for a credit card, but he pulled her away before she could grab one.

"Don't bother with that, your money's no good here."

"Oh, is this the date you tricked me into?"

"Nonsense, I'm just taking my favorite kid to the water park. And because you're so very prone to injury and danger, I'll have to let you tag along so I can keep an eye on you."

"You're letting me tag along? Oh, how nice of you, Klaus."

He ignored the jab and turned to Robbie. "As long as it's ok with the magician. Can she come with us?"

Robbie smiled and nodded.

* * *

Rebecca and Stefan bumped into each other in the hallway, each holding a bag of food. She waved her bag in his face.

"The best tacos on the island."

"Second best." he retorted, motioning to his own bag "I'm freaking hungry, let's go eat."

"How many did you get?" She asked.

"How many did I get, or how many are left?"

"Stefan!"

"I can't control myself! I had three just walking over here. But there's a ton left."

"You're a savage! A ripper! There's no way to neatly eat those things while walking around, you must have left a trail everywhere."

He just smiled and tried for her bag.

"Not a chance!" she swatted him away, and checked her phone. "Damon texted me, He's running out to pick up some tequila and mix for margaritas."

"Damon texted you? He's _my_ brother."

"I guess he likes me better." She teased.

They walked into the room and heard the shower running. He grabbed a bucket to get some ice from the hall. Rebecca flopped down on a couch and closed her eyes.

Stefan returned and put the bucket in the freezer.

"Elena's still in the shower?"

"Sounds like it." She muttered.

"She always takes forever." He replied, and laid down on the couch next to her.

* * *

"No Way." Caroline said, looking up at the steep eighty foot drop water slide.

"I'm not scared." Robbie smiled.

"See, he's not scared, and he's only seven." Nik replied.

"Then you two go. I'll wait down here." She replied.

"It's fun, Caroline!" Robbie tugged on her hand. "Try it."

She shook her head. Just looking at that thing made her want to throw up. There was no way she was going to plunge down the almost completely vertical tube that was open in the front so you could see as you fell. It looked like a death trap. What stopped people from falling right out the side and plummeting to their deaths?

Nik put an arm around Robbie and started to lead him away, but he looked at Caroline as he spoke. "Let's go, she isn't coming with us. Caroline doesn't like to take chances on things that scare her. Even when she knows it would be the most fun she'd ever have."

She glared at him. He was making this about him? Fine. She could do the same.

"I'm surprised you're not forcing me to go on. Considering you don't seem to listen to the word no." She retorted.

"I've never taken you on a water slide you didn't want to go on." he replied innocently, but she could read that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"But you have taken me on rides I said no to."

"You might have said no, but I could tell what you really wanted."

"What makes you think that you know what I want?"

"Was I wrong?" he challenged.

"You were wrong, to not stop when I told you to. That time, in the shelter, you know what I'm talking about."

"You didn't want me to stop."

"I told you to stop."

"You didn't mean it."

"That wasn't your call to make."

"What ride are you guys talking about?" Robbie interrupted.

Caroline blushed. She had forgotten the little kid was standing right there.

"Oh, um, just some roller coaster." She answered lamely.

"I love roller coasters." Robbie said proudly.

"Caroline does too." Nik responded "She makes the cutest noises when she ri- oww!" He clutched his arm, which Caroline just punched, hard. It was a move he taught her, actually. "You hit me! Why would you hit me when I'm just telling the kid how much you like roller coasters." He was trying to sound shocked and offended, but he kept laughing.

"You're impossible." She swatted at him again. She looked up at the slide again. "And I'm going on that."

"So you'll take a chance after all?" Nik smiled.

"Don't read too much into it." She snipped, and followed Robbie up the steps.

* * *

They had gone on every ride in the park at least once. Some of the slides had short lines, so Robbie would drag them right back up the steps once they went down. For now, he was content playing in the kid's area with some other children while Nik and Caroline sat on a lounge chair nearby and watched.

She let him pull her next to him on the chair and lace her fingers with his. They had seemed to reach a strange point in their new relationship, whatever you would call it, where little physical touches were ok. She felt a jolt every time his skin grazed hers, it was like everything was new again. At the same time, she was still wary and didn't want to give him the wrong impression. She leaned against him, exhausted from all the walking they had done that day.

An overwhelmed looking mother set a large bag on the chair next to them and gave her three kids explicit instructions to stay together before sending them out into the play area. As soon as they were a few steps away from her they scattered in different directions. She gave an exasperated sigh and sunk down into her chair.

She looked over at the couple on the chair next to her.

"Which one is yours?" She asked.

Nik pointed over at Robbie.

"He looks about the same age as my middle boy. 8?"

"7" Nik responded.

The woman nodded. She glanced over at Caroline. "You look very young for the mother of a 7 year old."

Caroline wanted to laugh. She would have had to have given birth at twelve to be Robbie's mother. Nik could pass as his parent, though. He was 25 but he looked a bit older.

Nik put his arm around her and smiled at the woman. "It was quite a scandal, really. My first year teaching, I'm at this all girl's middle school. This little minx walks into my seventh grade class. Knee socks, the rolled up plaid skirt, all that. We connected instantly." He looked lovingly into Caroline's eyes, and she glares back at him.

The woman's jaw had dropped.

He continues "It was true love. Her parent's didn't see it that way, of course, I got three years in prison when they found out about our little bundle of joy over there." He motioned at Robbie. The woman in the chair next to them was grabbing her things and getting up. He continued with his little story, looking over at Caroline. "But now you're over 18 and we don't need to deal with the pesky little restraining order anymore, now do we?"

The lady darted up, mumbling about having to be somewhere.

"Nice to meet you!" Nik shouted at her as she hurried away.

"Why did you have to do that?" Caroline scolded him.

"Do what?"

"Scare her away."

"I was just having a bit of fun."

"You're crazy."

"I think we should have a cover story. New identities for when we're here. How would you explain the three of us to a total stranger?"

"You couldn't just say you were his uncle or cousin or something?"

"Well that's not very creative."

"You could have said he was adopted." She offered.

"But he looks just like us!" He joked.

"Then tell people he's your kid and I'm just your friend."

"I don't want to be just friends."

"It's only a story."

"Even in the story." He pouted.

"You're never going to give up, are you?"

He pulled her closer "Not even if it takes a year or a century, I know one day you'll tell me you feel the same way, I'm just waiting for you to figure it out."

She felt a pang of guilt. It was wrong to keep holding his hand and acting so cuddly with him, it was wrong for her to kiss him on the plane. She was feeding into his delusions that they could have a real relationship after everything they'd been through. At least that's why she told herself she was feeling guilty. It couldn't possibly be guilt she felt because she knew he was right and the only thing stopping her was her worry about losing her friends. Could it? She pushed the idea out of her head and tried to make him think she had ignored his last statement.

"I think it's time to get Robbie some dinner."

* * *

Damon got back in the room and set the bottles and bag of food down on the table. He looked over at Stefan and Rebecca, who looked guilty.

"What have you two been up to?"

"We might have started eating without you." Rebecca admitted, glancing over at a pile of wrappers.

"Animals." Damon deadpanned.

He looked around and picked up the sound of the running water coming from his bathroom.

"Babe, get out here already, I'm starving."

There was no response.

"I'll drag her out." He told the others and walked over.

They heard Damon walk into the bathroom and the water turn off. He walked back out slowly, a look of shock on his face. He was pale, drained of all color, and his breathing seemed shaky.

"She's not there."

Stefan jumped up. "What do you mean, not there?"

"Her clothes are on the counter, but she wasn't in there."

"But we heard the shower running." Stefan said, unable to wrap his head around it. "Why would she leave her clothes in the bathroom and the shower on?"

"She's not there." Damon repeated. He felt cold. This was his worst fear realized. Something had happened to her and he wasn't there to stop it.

Stefan and Rebecca just looked at each other, horrified. Someone had taken her.

* * *

**A/N Thank you so much everyone who'se been reading this and especially for the reviews! I love them, please keep leaving them. I think this story will have about five more chapters in it so look out for more!**


	16. Chapter 16

Caroline's hair was still a little wet as they hopped out of the Jeep and walked into the convenience store on their way back to the hotel. They had grabbed dinner in the park but Robbie was hungry again.

"Whatever you want." Nik motioned to Robbie, and the kid scurried around the aisles snatching up bags of chips and little pints of ice cream. He followed behind closely, carrying the various junk food items that Robbie handed him.

"His dad said not to feed him junk."

"He had a balanced dinner at the park." He insisted

"Fried chicken and mac and cheese is not a balanced dinner."

"Let me have a little fun." He pouted.

Caroline thought back to the story Nik had told her on their first date. He had a little brother who died very young. Henrik. She looked at how sweet and protective he was of this little boy. A boy who could have easily died almost as young as Henrik.

But this boy was alive and smiling and he was looking up at Nik with admiration as he picked out another bag of cookies and chatted about how he wanted to play MarioKart when they got back to the room.

"You're going to spoil him rotten." She smiled at Nik.

"I'd rather spoil you, but you won't let me." He whispered in her ear.

She ignored him and took Robbie's hand, leading him to the slushy machine.

"Red or Blue?" She asked him.

When they got back to the hotel room, she challenged Robbie to a few rounds of MarioKart while they ate their snacks so Nik could sneak off to take a shower and call Jimmy to let him know they were in for the night. The kid was beating her at every race. She let Robbie explain to her what all the buttons did and he high fived her when she finally beat him at one of the races.

Caroline didn't have much experience dealing with little kids. She wasn't one of those girls who was babysitting all the time in middle and high school and she didn't have any siblings or younger cousins. She just tried to talk to the kid like she would any other person, but looked for topics that might interest someone his age.

Nik stepped out of the shower and saw Caroline and Robbie having an intense discussion about super heros. They were arguing over which Avenger was best. She preferred Captain America, but Robbie liked Iron Man the best. He quietly leaned against the wall and stayed very still. Their backs were turned to him and they were too wrapped up in their conversation to notice him.

"Who's your favorite out of all of the superheros?" Robbie challenged.

"Hmm, Batman." Caroline responded.

"I like him too." Robbie smiled.

"Is he your favorite?"

"Nope." He shook his head.

"You like Iron Man better?"

"He's not my favorite either."

"The Flash?" She guessed.

"Nope."

"Spiderman?"

"Nope."

"Please don't say Superman."

"No way" he laughed.

"I give up. Who?" She asked.

"Nik, of course." He smiled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"He's not a superhero!" She protested.

"He doesn't have powers like Spiderman, but he still saves people. Like Batman." Robbie explained.

"Nik saves people?" she asked, amused by the kid's skewed perspective of what Nik actually did.

"He protects my dad from bad guys all the time." Robbie said. "And he saved me." He looked down.

Caroline saw the smile drop away from the boy's face. He was remembering something painful.

"Nik saved you?" She asked gently.

"I was somewhere bad and I didn't think anyone would find me, but he did. He took me out of the bad place." he said.

It all clicked. Nik had told her that someone had found Robbie stuck in an apartment several days after his mother died of an overdose. That person had been him.

She hesitantly hugged Robbie, not sure if he would like it. He hugged back tightly.

"You're lucky to be friends with a superhero." He said to her.

"I think you're a superhero too, Robbie." She smiled.

They turned back to the game and he picked which track to race on and they began. Nik waited another minute, then sat down next to them.

"What did I miss?" He asked, reaching for the cookies.

"Just Robbie kicking my butt at MarioKart." Caroline smiled.

"He needs a more qualified opponent, I think." Nik smiled. "Robbie, I'm racing you next."

Caroline finished her race and handed over the controller. She watched the two of them joke around as they played the game, and then she went to go take a shower.

Once she closed the door she started to peel off her clothes, but before she turned on the water she couldn't help eavesdropping on their conversation.

"You're still playing as Princess Peach!" Robbie laughed.

"Oh, I should have guessed Caroline would have picked her."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Robbie asked Nik.

"Who? Princess Peach?" Nik joked.

Robbie laughed. "No! Caroline!"

"Oh, Caroline. No, she's not."

"But you were kissing! And I saw you holding hands today. That means you like her."

Nik laughed. "You're right. But Caroline doesn't want to be my girlfriend."

"Then why was she kissing you?"

"I don't know, mate. Girls are confusing."

"But you like her?"

"Yes."

"And she likes you?"

"Sometimes."

"How can she like you sometimes?"

"She's... complicated."

"I don't ever want to like girls. Yuck."

Nik laughed. "I have a feeling you're going to change your mind about that one in a few years."

Caroline smiled and turned on the water. She was trying so hard to not like him, but it kept getting more difficult to ignore that there was something between them.

When she stepped out, The TV was off and the kid had passed out in a pile of chips and cookies. Nik carefully scooped him up and placed him on one of the beds in the room, tucking the little boy under the covers.

She climbed into the other one and Nik joined her. One more night of having to share a bed. At least this one wasn't a tiny little twin, there would be plenty of room. Even though they were int he same bed, she could put a little space between them.

He wasn't interested in having space. As soon as they were both under the covers he pulled her in close to him. Tomorrow night she wouldn't have an excuse to sleep next to him, so for now she decided just to enjoy it. She put her hand over his arm, keeping him close, and drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later she stirred a bit, feeling his arm pull away from her body. There was a noise, high pitched and gut wrenching.

Robbie was crying. He must have had some kind of nightmare, and he wasn't calming down. She remembered having them all the time as a little kid. It was so hard to separate dreams from reality. Things always felt like they could still hurt you outside of the dreams.

She pulled herself up on her elbows and watched Nik take care of the kid. He was whispering gentle words and sitting next to him. Robbie reached out to hug Nik, still too afraid to go back to sleep.

After a few minutes, Robbie seemed calm, but he wouldn't go back to sleep. He was nervous or afraid of something. Nik was trying to find anything, turning on a light in the bathroom, a glass of water, telling a funny story, nothing was working.

She sat up in bed and watched the whole thing. There was't much she could do to help, she didn't really know Robbie and she wasn't sure if he wanted her to try and help him.

"Still not sleepy?" Nik asked Robbie.

He shook his head.

"You look tired. Just lie down."

"I don't want to."

Nik rubbed his eyes, he was exhausted.

Robbie looked at him hesitantly "Sometimes dad lets me sleep in his bed when I have bad dreams."

Nik looked at Caroline, asking permission. She smiled and waved for them to come over.

Nik collapsed back in his spot and Robbie climbed up and wiggled in between them. She didn't miss the way the little kid looked up at Nik. He really was a superhero to this little boy.

Within minutes both of them had fallen asleep, and Caroline was awake, laying there listening to the even sound of their breathing. She looked over at Nik, he looked so peaceful sleeping. He was changing her mind every day.

Nik woke up first. He looked over and saw Robbie curled up next to him and Caroline right on his other side. Robbie still believed Nik could keep him safe from the monsters of his nightmares or the world. Caroline might have felt the same way once, before she really knew who he was. He wondered if he could ever make her feel that way again.

She acted like she didn't trust him at all, but she must, at least a little. She was able to fall asleep next to him. She had spend a week locked up in a one room shelter with him. She had to know that if he was planning on hurting her, he would have done it by now. He tried to convince himself that she was starting to feel safe with him again. She picked little fights and stung him with her words, but she wouldn't do that if she was really afraid of him, right? She wouldn't rattle his cage if she really thought he would attack.

He was grasping at straws, but he needed something. There needed to be some reasonable hope that he wasn't just wasting his time on someone who was going to stomp all over his heart.

He pushed the thoughts of reality away and looked over at the two figures in bed with him. It was so easy to pretend they were a little family. He could imagine that this was his girl and his kid and they all were happy together. He thought back to the day before, of the three of them splashing around in the water park together. He and Caroline had their little spats, but for the most part they had a good day. He looked back on the three of them eating dinner the day before, sitting at the little outdoor table by the lazy river, watching people float by.

He had tried to convince Robbie to eat all his food, sure that if he didn't he'd end up hungry again in an hour. A father walking by with his two kids had given him a knowing nod as he walked by. It was that 'I've been there' look parents give each other. That woman by the play area had asked them about Robbie like he was their kid. Anyone who looked at the three of them right now would assume the same. He would never be able to have this, not really. It wouldn't be fair to any child to have someone like him for a parent. But for now, just having a day of being able to pretend was enough.

He'd send Robbie back with Jimmy later that morning. Caroline would probably tolerate him a few more days when they got back to her friends, but she would avoid being alone with him. No more falling asleep together or private little moments. His pretend family would be gone in an instant. These were some of his last moments to capture the memory of it so he tried to lie still and remember her, exactly how she was in that moment. Soon enough, the memory would be all he had.

Caroline stirred. She peeked over the sleeping boy and saw Nik smiling back at her. She padded across the room to brush her teeth and heard Robbie wake up and say something to Nik.

Nik was on the phone.

"Yes, the pancakes with the chocolate chips, waffles, ice cream, toast with jam, the omelet with the bacon in it. tea. Chocolate milk." He put his hand over the phone and called across the room "Caroline, breakfast?"

"Coffee" She shouted back "And toast."

He finished up the order and hung up.

A few minutes later Robbie was stuffing his face with the worlds most unhealthy breakfast.

"Really, Nik? Ice cream?"

"It compliments the chocolate chip pancakes and the chocolate milk." He shrugged.

"You've stuffed him with junk food the whole time we've been out here, his dad is going to be livid."

"You're going to be the strict parent, aren't you?"

"I'm just trying to follow his dad's rules. Robbie, can you eat a piece of fruit with that, maybe?"

Robbie scrunched up his nose, but she gave him a stern look and he begrudgingly picked up an apple and took a bite. Nik laughed.

"I can see it now. Controlling, neurotic Caroline. I bet you'll have charts and lists to make sure you do everything by the book."

"Who says I want to have kids at all?"

"Why wouldn't you? You'd be great at it. Look, you already got Robbie to eat his first healthy food since we left. Where would we be without you?"

"I'm 19! I'm nowhere near ready for that kind of thing. Maybe in like ten years or something."

There was a knock at the door and Nik walked up to get it.

Jimmy walked in and Robbie flung himself at his dad. Jimmy picked up the kid and hugged him.

"His face is covered in chocolate, Nik."

"Pancakes are a perfectly suitable breakfast food." Nik shrugged.

"I bet it's been junk the whole time." Jimmy retorted.

"Caroline made me eat an apple" Robbie pouted.

"At least there's one adult in the room." Jimmy laughed.

They said their goodbyes, Jimmy had to go back for his next deal and Nik and Caroline needed to go meet her friends, who were probably worried sick about her being an extra day late.

The two of them were alone again. Nik stacked the plates of half eaten food over on a table and she caught him looking wistfully at the remaining chocolate chip pancakes. Her every instinct was to be as distant and unfeeling with him as possible, but he wasn't all bad. A tiny part of her wanted to get closer and she was going to give in, but only a little.

He saw her looking and tried to shrug it off. He didn't want her pity.

"I'll see him again in a few months." He said.

He was trying to hide the sadness but she could see it in his eyes.

She hugged him and placed a soft kiss on his jaw.

He looked down at her, a little startled by the gesture. Every little thing that happened between them since she found out the real him had been his doing. He always started it. This was the first time she had come up to him, unprovoked, and shown any kind of affection.

He pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her forehead. He wanted to ask her why she did it, but he was concerned that it would only make her back away.

"You would be a good dad." She said.

"What?" He said, not sure he heard her right. It was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. Of course, it was completely false, he knew his line of work and his personal issues would make him a terrible parent. But hearing her say it was amazing.

"You would." She repeated. "You were so good with him."

"If this is your way of asking, the answer is yes. I will gladly make a baby with you. Let's get started, shall we?" He joked, trying to cover up any sign of the emotional impact her words had on him.

"Nik, I was being serious."

"I am too." He joked. "Come on, off with those clothes, no time like the present."

"I didn't mean it like that!"

He mocked offense. "You don't want to have babies with me? No house in the suburbs with the white picket fence and a golden retriever?" He was laughing as he said it. He knew that would never be the life that could make her happy.

She laughed. "Somehow, I don't think that's the life the either of us is going to end up with. Small town life, it wouldn't be enough."

"I guess we'll have a more unconventional family, then. Lots of traveling, big cities."

"Stop talking like it's going to be me and you. I hate when you say stuff like that, pretending like we're going to have some kind of future together."

"I wouldn't mind." He shrugged.

"I'm not going to spend my life running around with some serial killer."

"I'm not a serial killer!"

"What would you call it?"

"Contract killer? Execution specialist? Preemptive defense?" He offered.

"That doesn't make it sound any better!"

"And what exactly is your job title, sweetheart? What line of work are you in again, please remind me."

She laughed. "Damon always called me the 'little blonde distraction'."

"You must be good at your job, because I'm feeling very distracted at the moment."

* * *

Stefan and Damon were rolling around on the floor with their hands around each other's necks. They hadn't fought like this since they were children. Damon had lunged at Rebecca, slamming her against a wall. He was certain she had something to do with Elena's disappearance. Stefan pulled him away, punching him square in the jaw. Before he could stop to check on Rebecca, Damon had recovered from the hit and charged at Stefan.

"She doesn't have anything to do with this" Stefan shouted, slamming Damon against a wall.

"Her brother did this!" Damon shouted back, knocking Stefan's head against the floor.

"He wouldn't do that!"

"Why? Because he's such a good person?"

"Why would he take Elena knowing Rebecca was with us?"

"Why don't you ask your buddy Caroline?"

"You don't honestly believe Caroline would let him take Elena. She loves her!"

"I don't know what to believe. All I know is Elena is gone and Nik is the only person I can think of who would do something like this."

Rebecca was pulling them apart. She slapped Damon hard across the face.

"That's for shoving me into a wall." She slapped him again. "And that's for my brother. I hope you feel ashamed when you realize that he didn't do this. If Elena's still alive, he's probably the best chance you have at getting her back."

Damon glowered at her. "If I find out Nik has anything to do with this I'll kill your whole family."

"You couldn't possibly kill Nik. You'd be dead the second you made a move against him." She challenged.

"Then I'll kill you first." He spat.

"If you kill me, you'll spend the rest of your short life running from him."

"I don't care."

Stefan tried to step in and separate the two of them. "Cut it out. No one's killing anyone. Damon, I think we should call Caroline. She'll make sure Nik is on our side for this."

"I don't trust him."

"What other option do we have? We can't call the police."

Damon glared at both of them. "This is Elena. I'm not going to let her die or leave keeping her alive up to someone like Nik. I'm going to find out who did this and put them in the ground."

He stormed out of the suite and slammed the door behind him.

Stefan pulled Rebecca close. "You're not leaving my sight until we find out who did this. If they come after you too..."

"We need to call Nik." She said.

He nodded. "I'll call Caroline."

* * *

Nik looked around the room, making sure they had everything. He was stalling, prolonging the last few minutes he had alone with her in the room. After this they'd drive back to the resort, which was on the island about forty minutes away. After the car ride, he only have the date he cornered her into going on with him to be alone with her. She'd probably hide behind Stefan and Elena the whole time.

He was absently trying to think of what to do on that date. It would be his last ditch effort to find some possible way to get her to see who he really way. It was his last chance to try and convince her to give him a chance.

What Nik didn't know was that Caroline was stalling too. She had been spending the whole morning debating what to do in her head. One side of her wanted to get out of there and get away. She wanted to be able to put some space between them so she could stop thinking about him and move on. But a larger part of her knew she couldn't ever really move on. He had gotten under her skin and she couldn't do a thing about it. He made her blush, boil with rage, feel dizzy from lust. He made her smile and laugh and he was so dangerous, yet he made her feel safe.

Caroline was never very good at controlling her impulses. She always said the wrong thing at the wrong time. She wasn't good at waiting or being patient. Right now it was taking all her strength to hold back from throwing herself at him.

He looked over at her. She was sitting on the bed, deep in thought about something. He wanted to reach over and touch her, but he felt himself holding back. He was tiptoeing around her, testing the waters. She seemed to be ok with holding his hand or letting him pull her close when they were sleeping, but anything more was a gamble. He was still surprised that she had kissed the side of his face earlier that day. It was an unprecedented move on her part. It was the first time she had done something like that without being provoked by him, and he wondered if it would all stop once she was around her friends again. She probably wouldn't even let him hold her hand in front of the Salvatore brothers. Even that would be hoping too much.

He pulled the bag of their belongings up from the ground and held the keycard in his hand. He began to open the door to leave, but paused to ask her a question.

"What's the longest amount of time anyone's ever spent going on a single date?" He asked her.

"I think once it goes on for longer than a day, It's more than one date." Caroline responded, smiling a bit.

He had been dropping little reminders about the date she had agreed to. Once they got back to the resort she'd have to find some way of explaining it to Elena and the Salvatores so they wouldn't go crazy.

"So twenty four hours counts as a date, then? I'll pick you up at 8 and return you at 8 the following day?"

"Can't you just do dinner and a movie like a normal person?"

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to be normal people with normal lives." He responded. "Besides, you deserve something a bit more than ordinary after all you've put up with from me."

"You're right" She teased him. "This whole ordeal has been terrible and you're awful company." She laughed.

"If only you could go back in time and have a talk with yourself last week. You really hated me then."

"I reserve the right to change my mind whenever I feel like it." She smiled, gathering up her belongings.

"I'll check us out at the front desk on our way out." He said, motioning to her that it was time to go.

She nodded and got up from the bed. They were leaving._ Now or never, Caroline. If you wait until he takes you on some fancy date he'll always think he won you over with fancy things and money. You have to do something now, so he knows exactly why you want to be with him. _ She gulped and felt nervous at the very thought. She did want to be with him. She was sure of how she felt, but she didn't want to admit it. It would change everything.

He was walking out of the room and she followed. The door clicked shut behind them, and he was walking towards the front lobby. Her stomach sank_. Too late. You waited too long_. Suddenly she was angry with herself. _No, Caroline, it's not too late yet. Don't make excuses, just do something._

"Wait!" she said.

He turned around and looked confused.

She walked up to him and took the keycard out of his hand and walked back to the room.

"Did you forget something?" He asked.

She shook her head and marched back to the door, slid the key in, and walked back into the room.

He looked at her, confused, but he followed her in.

"Sit." She pointed at the bed they had slept in.

He hesitantly sat at the edge of the bed.

She took a deep breath. Now or never.

"I need to know a few things."

"Alright." He said, looking confused.

"I need to know that if I decide to leave, you'll let me leave. You have to promise you won't hunt me down and kill me if I ever decide to walk away from you."

He looked confused. "Leave? I'm taking you back to your friends?"

"No. I uh. I mean. um. Like if you and I were_ together._"

"Are you saying that-"

"Just answer me."

"I would never hurt you. I'm not going to kill you."

"Promise it. What I said."

He shook his head. "If we were... in a relationship, I know you would leave eventually. I can't promise I won't chase after you. But it wouldn't be to attack you, it would be to try and get you to come back to me."

"By kidnapping me? Forcing my hand? Threatening me?"

He looked guilty. She could tell that he had considered it. It was who he was, it was how he got what he wanted.

"I won't treat you like a job. I won't do anything like that."

She nodded, pacing around.

"You have to be honest with me. About everything."

He nodded. "I would only keep from you details about a job that wouldn't be safe for you to know. I can tell you anything personal about me, anything you want to know."

"And if you have to keep something from me, because of work and only work, you'll just say you can't tell me something. You won't make up a big lie about it."

"Ok." he agreed.

She nodded and paced around some more. She glanced over and gave him a skeptical look.

She was fidgeting, trying to come up with the right words. It would all shift once she said them, once she admitted that she wanted to be with him too. She was afraid to lose the little leverage she had over him. Once she let him in, she would be powerless. She was trying to work up the courage to just say it, and let everything happen without worrying so much about where it would all lead.

"Ok. I need to say something." She began "I-"

**ringring.**

He glanced over at his phone, then turned to face her again.

**ringring**

"Aren't you going to get that?" She asked, relieved to have a way out of having to say what she felt strong enough to say only a few minutes ago but now she felt so afraid.

"No."

"Why?"

"I want to hear what you're about to say."

**ringring.**

"Please just pick up the phone."

"Not until you say what you were going to say."

"Klaus, please just answer the phone."

**ringring.**

"Caroline, what were you about to say to me?"

"Just pick up the goddamn phone, I'm not going to say it now."

"I'm not answering the phone until you say it."

**ringring.**

She walked over to his phone and looked at the screen.

"It's Rebecca" she said, shoving it in his face.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to control his rage. Of course it had to be the one person whose call he could never ignore.

"Don't you dare move. You're going to say whatever was so important as soon as I get off the phone." He commanded.

Caroline felt incredibly nervous as she sank down to sit on the floor. He knew exactly what she was about to say and he wasn't about to let her back out of it. He wouldn't drop it until she admitted what she was feeling, why she marched him back in here to ask a bunch of stupid questions.

He picked up the phone. "Rebe-" He froze.

Caroline could hear her shouting on the other end of the line. Her voice sounded frenzied.

His expression became cold and scary. Whatever Rebecca was telling him was not good.

"They think I did it?" He growled.

Caroline tried to hear the other end of the line, to get an idea of what was going on, but she couldn't make out the words.

"Fuck Damon." he spat "If he thinks he can accuse me than come running back to beg for my help... "

He looked at Caroline. "Why haven't you been answering your phone? Apparently Stefan's been calling you nonstop for the past two days."

She could see a little jealousy in his eyes, the way he said the name 'Stefan' sounded like he was talking about a disease.

"I don't have the charger with me. We left so fast.. It's been dead for a while."

He nodded and returned to the phone. "Tell him she's fine. The phone just isn't charged."

He paused while Rebecca relayed the information to Stefan.

"Becca, don't go anywhere alone. Do you understand me?"

Caroline's eyes widened. What was going on?

"We're on our way. I'll fix this. But not for Damon fucking Salvatore. He can still kiss my ass. You let him and your little boyfriend know that I'm doing this for her, not them."

He nodded as she said something.

"Be careful Becca. I'm on my way. ... I love you too... Bye."

He hung up the phone and looked at Caroline.

"We need to leave right now. Someone took your friend Elena."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Thank you so much for all the reviews! I love love love them and appreciate every single reader. I know it's been a while since I updated, so I made sure this chapter was nice and long. Stay tuned for more! **

* * *

"Caroline, did you hear me?" Nik asked.

She just looked back at him, stunned.

"Caroline. Someone took Elena. We need to get back there right away. I'm going to help them get her back. Do you understand?"

She blinked, fear washing over her face.

"We'll save Elena. I just need to get there as soon as possible. Do you understand me?"

"Thank you." She said.

He pulled her up from where she was sitting. "You don't need to thank me."

"Yes I do." She said quietly.

He wrapped an arm around her and led her out to the car.

She had been about to tell him that she liked him too. More than just liked him. She wanted to be with him, whatever that would bring. But now she lost her moment and her mind was swimming with thoughts of Elena. Someone took her. Took her where? How could they be sure she was even alive?

Nik was holding the door open, waiting for her to step into the car. She stood there, looking back at him.

"Sweetheart? We have to go now."

"What if she's dead?"

"If someone killed her, they probably would have left her in the room. Dragging a body out of there would be time consuming and create a higher risk of being caught. Logically, the way these things are done... If they took her out of the room, they'll probably keep her alive for a few days, I'd bet that they're looking for something in exchange for her."

"But what if ..."

"Listen to me. I'm going to take care of this."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Caroline, I promise you, If she's alive, if there's a way to get her back, I'll find it."

"Why would someone do this to her? Elena's never hurt anyone."

"Damon has."

"What?"

"Damon."

"I don't understand."

"Because you don't think like us. You don't even realize how selfish I'm being, how much I'm asking when I say I want us to be together."

"What does this have to do with Elena and Damon?"

"If someone came after me right now, if they really wanted to hurt me, do you know what they would probably do?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"They would go straight for you. They would take you and do terrible things. Do you understand why I don't let you out of my sight? Why I dragged you along with me and hid you away where only I could find you?"

"What does hurting me do? Why not just go right to you?"

"You don't understand the type of people who do these things. If something happened to you, it would hurt ten times worse than anything anyone could ever do to me. Trust me, whoever this is, they want Damon to suffer."

* * *

Damon stepped off the chair, holding something in his hand. Someone had bugged their room. He found the device mounted in a place where it had a clear shot of their main door. Someone had watched Elena walk in alone. He glared into the tiny camera, wondering if the person who took the love of his life was looking back at him.

He walked over to the kitchen and placed it on the granite counter. He found a heavy frying pan and smashed the thing into a million tiny pieces. He swept the tiny pieces into the sink and pushed them down the garbage disposal. He flipped the switch and there was a grinding crunch as the little pieces got mangled by the blades.

"We should check for more, just in case." He suggested.

Rebecca and Stefan agreed and wandered around the rooms looking for anything. There was a knock and Damon sprinted to the door.

Katherine flew into the hotel room and flung herself at Damon. Rebecca noticed a heartbreaking look of hope that crossed his face for a second before he snapped out of it and realized that wasn't really her, it was the twin.

Rebecca would have thought it was Elena, had she not noticed the tattoos along her arm and the bright purple streak in her hair. This sister seemed a bit more wild than the subdued, sweet Elena.

"I came as soon as you called" Katherine said, pulling Damon closer. She had mascara stains running down her face and she looked disheveled, like she had run straight out of bed to catch her flight.

Her attention turned to Stefan, who had been crawling around under a table when she came in the room. He had spent the past hour looking for a bug. Whoever took Elena was watching them, and it gave him the creeps to think they might be seeing them all sitting around with no clue as to how to help Elena.

"Stefan!" She beamed, and she ran over to him to hug him.

Rebecca glared at her. Stefan had warned her that Katherine would be showing up. He had hesitantly admitted that they had hooked up once, a few years ago, but there was never anything serious between them. It was enough to make her loathe the girl, but she understood that her sister had been kidnaped and she would want to be close to do anything she could to help. It was what families did. Elijah had shown up in Budapest only hours after Nik arrived that time she was kidnapped. He wasn't able to do anything to help her, Nik had already seen to that, but he was there to give Kol the scolding of his life and to see with his own eyes that his baby sister was ok.

The girl finally broke away from Stefan and noticed Rebecca standing there.

"Katherine, this is Rebecca. My girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend when I was here a few weeks ago." Katherine's hand lingered on Stefan's shoulder and he awkwardly stepped to the side to get out of her reach.

Rebecca glared at her. This girl was obviously trying to make her jealous.

"Rebecca. Pleasure I'm sure." She introduced herself, then didn't bother to give Katherine time to respond before she turned her back and continued her work, looking for possible bugs in the room.

Eventually, Katherine gave up on trying to flirt with Stefan and make his new girlfriend jealous, and instead she went back over to Damon, grilling him for details of her sister's disappearance.

Rebecca stormed into the room she shared with Stefan, and slammed the door behind her. She couldn't stand the sight of that Katherine skank. Who did she think she was, putting her hands all over Stefan like that?

Stefan came in after her. He looked at her expression and could tell what it was about.

"It was a really really long time ago, Becca. And it was never anything serious."

"She doesn't seem to think so." She said.

"No, that's just how she acts with every guy."

"She didn't have her hands all over Damon like that."

"Damon is the one guy she won't flirt with. Her sister's boyfriend and all."

"So, what? I have to be ok with her being all over you like that? You just let her hang on you?"

"No, Becca, I'll have a talk with her and tell her to cut it out, ok? I guess I just got used to it."

"Used to it? So that's what she was like when you were here with her the other week? All over you?"

"Not really, she had a guy with her at the time and.."

Rebecca shot him a skeptical look.

He thought for a moment, unsure of if he could say what he was thinking out loud. "Alright, fine. I guess I can tell you. You already know about us, and we know about your brother, so what's one more, right?"

She looked confused.

"Katherine's kind of a grifter. She hooks up with wealthy men, gets into these quick little whirlwind relationships with them, gets them to buy her expensive thing, and ends up taking all of their money."

"So she's a prostitute." Becca sniffed.

"Not exactly. It's not an upfront money or things in exchange for sex kind of thing. She tricks these guys into thinking she's their dream girl, and she lures them into buying her things, and usually she gets to their bank account information and one day they wake up and all the money's gone and so is she."

"Thats awful!" She protested.

"I know" he shrugged "But she's Elena's sister, and you know, with what we do, it's kinda a stones and glass houses type of thing. It's actually how Damon and Elena met, Damon was working alone in Colombia that month, Katherine was looking for her next victim, considering Damon as a possibility, but she made the mistake of bringing Elena with her on that trip, and the two of them fell for each other instantly. Katherine backed off and found another guy to target, and Elena and Damon have been inseparable ever since."

"So she just keeps doing it? Tricking men out of their money and running on to the next one?"

"Well, there was this one guy who actually got her back." He laughed. "She's still terrified of him. He found her and he made this huge scene at some ritzy party she was at, trying to hook her next guy. He followed her around, outing her to anyone she tried to scam until she finally gave him his money back. I think she had a necklace of his mother's that he was really insistent on getting back as well." Stefan smiled at the memory of it. "She can't show her face in five countries because of him, I would love to meet that guy and shake his hand. He's a legend."

She nodded, feeling a little better that Stefan wouldn't fall under that girl's spell.

"So you're not still interested in her."

"Becca, I never was. We hooked up once, we were both drunk and lonely, it was a long time ago."

"Stefan, did you, I mean, did she take..."

"She never got a cent out of me." He laughed. "I met her a while after Elena started dating Damon. I was warned. She tried, but she wasn't going to get me like that."

Rebecca felt relief wash over her. She didn't have anything to worry about with this girl. Stefan clearly saw right past her. She remembered the first date she went on with Stefan and how shocked he was that she insisted on paying for her half of dinner even though he kept trying to tell her it was his treat. This trip was the first time she had let him spend money on her. It was part of her stubborn willfulness, wanting to pay her own way as much as possible. Now she knew it set her apart from Katherine in his mind, and she was glad he knew that she was never interested in him for his money.

Her phone beeped on the nightstand and she crawled over to get it.

Hello?... what do you mean your plane leaves in a few minutes...you can't be serious...he'll be here soon...I don't need the both of you swooping in whenever something happens...you're being overprotective...fine! Well you can stay in your own bloody hotel room, because I'm not inviting you into this one...this is absurd...fine... goodbye.

She hung up and shot Stefan an annoyed look. "My brother just called to say he's coming here. He's worried about me after hearing about Elena. After what happened to me a few years ago he gets jumpy about everything."

Stefan looked confused. "We already know that Nik's on his way."

"No. My other brother. One of them, anyway. Elijah."

Stefan gulped. Elijah was the brother she lived with when she wasn't staying at school. He was the only one in their family to make his money the legal way. By now he knew her (now very dead) father and Niklaus were both hitmen, and Kol was into underground gambling and not-so-legal stock trading, but Elijah was a brilliant Medical Engineer who made state of the art robotics used in surgery. He was smart, successful, and he wasn't a criminal. The thought of having to meet him scared Stefan senseless. Rebecca always talked lovingly about her oldest brother, about how he was more of a father to her than Mikael could ever be. He just knew this guy would hate him. It was the last thing he needed with all that was going on right now.

"Don't look at me like that, Stefan, I didn't want him to come here. He won't listen."

He shook his head. "It's fine Becca. I knew I'd have to meet him eventually. I'm just a little nervous."

She laughed. He couldn't believe she actually laughed at him.

"Oh, that's rich! You're afraid of Elijah!" She cackled, rolling over on the bed.

"I just want to make a good impression, considering he's so important to you and he's like a parent to you and a sibling..."

She just kept laughing "Not afraid of Niklaus, the killer, but afraid of the little scientist with his robots."

"Becca!"

"Stefan!" she exclaimed, trying to get words in between fits of laughter "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll love you."

There was a knock on the door. They looked at each other.

"Nik and Caroline?" she wondered out loud.

They scrambled to the front door just in time to see a bellhop deliver a package. Damon ripped it open. It had no return address and the bellhop didn't know who had it sent to them. It just showed up on the front desk.

Inside the package was a piece of paper and a dvd.

Damon reached for the paper with shaking hands.

**Damon and Stefan Salvatore,**

** You took a life from me and I will have yours in return.**

** You have 48 hours to find me and give yourselves up or I will kill her in your place.**

** M.**

"I thought Mikael was dead." Damon hissed at Rebecca.

"He is dead." She said.

Stefan chimed in. "Caroline told me she saw Nik kill him."

"Maybe he just looked dead." Damon offered.

"She said he put the body in a trunk full of acid and she watched it dissolve until his bones were gone." Stefan said.

"Ok, so not Mikael." Damon responded. "Maybe someone who wants us to think he's Mikael? Do we know any other 'M'?"

Stefan ran though a list in his mind, trying to pull up M names.

Rebecca pointed to the DVD in the box. "What's that?"

Damon put it in the DVD player attached to the tv and took a step back.

Elena appeared on the screen. She was only in a bath towel and she was tied to a chair. She was crying. A hand appeared in front of the camera, holding a taser. The hand reached out to her and pushed it against her skin. She screamed. The camera swooped up to zoom in on her face, clearly showing her agony. There was a clicking sound and she screamed again.

A vase went flying through the Tv screen, cutting the picture to static and than blackness before they could see anything else. Damon picked up the table the vase had been on and threw it against the wall. He kicked the broken Tv multiple times before Stefan managed to pull him away.

* * *

Caroline watched the countryside whip past them as Nik drove a good twenty miles over the speed limit. She was still beating herself up for not just saying it quick enough. If she had only said it a minute earlier, before he got the phone call, it would all be out in the open by now. There wouldn't be another chance. Not unless she made it happen.

"Nik I need you to pull over for a minute."

"Caroline, every minute counts when it comes to these types of situations, usually if you can't get to the person within 48 hours you won't get to them at all. I can't help them until we get there and know what we're dealing with."

"Just pull over. Please."

"Caroline."

"I need to talk to you about what I was going to say earlier. I can't do it while you're driving."

"You don't need to say anything now. Caroline, we need to get there as quickly as-"

"Just pull over the fucking car, Niklaus Mikaelson!" She screamed.

He slammed on the brakes and skidded off the side of the road onto the grass. He put the car in park and turned the keys so it was off.

She immediately jumped out of the car and started pacing around in the grass. she was freaking out about something and couldn't sit still another minute.

"Happy now?" He said, holding his hands away from the steering wheel.

"No! I'm terrified." Caroline said, her face serious.

He turned to face her. She was crying and shaking. He slowly got out of the car and walked over to her. He tried to hug her but she took a step away so he kept his distance.

She wiped the tears off her face and looked at him.

"You don't need to be afraid. I'm going to find her and bring her back."

"That's not what I'm afraid of."

"I'm not going to let whoever this is get you too. I'll keep you safe."

"That's just it. I know you will." She said, and new tears started to form.

Her looked at her, confused. "Caroline..."

"You're about to jump in to save my friend from some unknown kidnapper. She doesn't mean anything to you and you didn't ask for money."

"I'm doing this because she means something to you." he said.

"I know." She said. "But I need you to know something, what I need to say right now, I was going to say it anyway, before you got that call."

"Caroline, are you sure you want to do this now..."

"Yes. I don't know when I'll get another chance and I need you to know this right now. I've been stalling long enough and I don't want to wait another minute."

He looked at her, trying to keep from hoping she was about to say what he thought she was going to say.

"You keep saying you want to be with me, and you want us to be together, and you like me. For a while I wondered if you only said it because I was fun to chase, but now I think you meant it."

"I do mean it." He responded.

"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes." He said.

She smiled as she blinked back more tears. "Good. Because I want to be with you too."

He looked shocked. She had actually said it. He suspected she felt it, but saying it was a whole different thing. Admitting it meant they had a chance. He was scrambling through the grass to get closer to her.

"I thought that I could never get the Nik I liked back after I found out about your job and who you really are. I never expected to like a single thing about you after I found that out. But I do, and more every single day."

He took a hesitant step towards her, but she wasn't done.

"I don't care if being with you makes me a bad person or if I lose everything. You're what I want. I just needed you to know that before we jump into everything that's going on with Elena. I need you to know right now that I choose you. I'll tell them too. If they disown me for choosing to be with you, I can live with that. I can't live with pretending anymore. I can't go another day without you knowing how I really feel. I love you. And I don't want you risking your life to save my friend without you knowing that."

He was just looking at her, convinced that it was some kind of dream.

"Nik, please. Say something." She said .

He noticed that she was still crying. She was terrified of opening herself up to him, and even more afraid that she had said too much. That he wouldn't feel the same, or that he would lose interest now that she fell for him.

She said she loved him. No one ever loved him, except his siblings. Not even his parents. It stunned him. She didn't even like him most of the time. How could she love him? How could anyone?

"You love me?" He asked.

She nodded.

He stood there, mesmerized by it.

She looked down, blushing bright red. "I shouldn't have said it. Forget it, lets just go."

Caroline shook her head as she walked away from him, towards the car. It was a stupid thing to do. She announced her feelings the second they became clear to her, not bothering to think if the words were appropriate for the time and place. She always said the wrong things. She had hoped he would feel the same way, but she should have know he wasn't in love with her. She said too much and freaked him out. Great. Now she just had to get through another fifteen minutes in the car with him and then she could go hide in the penthouse where he couldn't see her. How embarrassing.

"Caroline, wait!" He shouted, snapping out of her trance when he noticed her walking away.

"It's ok, you don't have to say anything just because I did."

"I didn't mean to... I'm sorry I didn't say anything right away. I needed a minute. No one's ever said that to me before."

She shuffled uncomfortably. "Let's just get back in the car."

"I don't know if I love you." he blurted out. "I've never been in love with anyone, I don't know if that's how I feel. I can't explain this. You're the only person outside of my family I care about this much, and it all happened so fast. I didn't want to fall for you or ruin your life by being in it. I just know that I want to be with you and you're the first thing I think about every day. You never leave my mind. I want you to be safe and happy, but most of all I want you to be next to me. I know it's selfish, but I can't imagine my life without you now so I'll fight for this. Whatever it is."

She smiled. "Are you saying..."

"I'm saying I'm yours if you'll have me. Still willing to take a chance on a killer?"

She let out a squeak of excitement and ran back to him. He pulled her up so her feet left the ground just before her lips met his. She wrapped her legs around his waist held on tight. He spun her around as he kissed back. She pulled away to catch her breath and he nestled his face in her neck, breathing in the smell of her skin.

"I'm yours" She whispered.

"You're mine." he agreed.

He was walking back over to the car still carrying her, stopping to kiss her every few steps. He propped her so she was leaning back on the hood and she moved one of her arms from him so she could balance herself on the car.

He changed from the quick little kisses to long slow ones. She pulled him closer so he was leaning forward with her pinned under him on the hood of the car. He broke away from her mouth and kissed her neck, shoulders, chest. Her hips rose to meet his each time his lips touched a new place. She didn't care that they were on the side of the road, all she could think about was him. Her arms moved under his shirt and she raked her nails across his back, remembering how much he liked that. One of his hands moved up under her shirt and moved across her chest. She grinded her hips against his and let out a tiny moan. He was kissing every inch of exposed skin, pulling her closer, breathing her in. Her legs were wrapped around his lower back, locking him against her.

A car horn from a passing vehicle snapped them out of it. He reluctantly pulled away and helped her slide down.

She looked bashfully at the passing cars who had all gotten an eyeful of them furiously making out on the hood of the car.

"We have to go." She said reluctantly.

He nodded. "Kidnappings to avenge, and all that."

She smiled. It wasn't funny, but it was a ridiculous situation to think about. Her life with Tyler wasn't ordinary, but she never would have imagined herself getting here. She had just professed her love to a professional killer who was going to save her kidnapped friend. No one had a life like this. It was unreal.

"If we didn't have to get back right away for something so important..." He said, his eyes traveling over her body.

"I know. Me too." She responded.

She sunk back to reality and let him help her back into the car so they could speed towards the resort.

If her best friend wasn't in grave danger, she probably would have jumped him right then and there.

* * *

Damon answered the door. Nik and Caroline were standing on the other side. He took a step back to allow them to come in, but didn't say anything. He was too overcome with agony over Elena's kidnapping to bother with social niceties.

Nik didn't bother with it either. There was no time for that.

"Tell me everything." He said, and Damon and Stefan walked with him into one of the bedrooms.

Caroline saw Rebecca and Katherine standing awkwardly near each other and she greeted both of them with hugs. They sat quietly on one of the couches, none of them close friends, but all of them wishing the same thing. For Elena to come back safe.

After a few minutes of them filling him in, Nik popped out of the room.

"Paper and a pen?" he asked.

Rebecca walked over to the kitchen and handed him a notepad and pen.

"The video?" he asked.

"Damon destroyed the Tv when he saw it. We only saw a minute of it." Katherine said quietly. Her stomach twisted into knots just thinking about her sister tied to that chair.

"I'll watch it on one of the laptops." he suggested, and Caroline pointed out Stefan's sitting on the kitchen table.

He went into a bathroom alone to watch the video. No point in making Damon sit through it again.

The video had lasted at least twenty minutes. From the muffled screams they could hear from the bathroom, Damon had broken the Tv before it even began to get bad. Caroline felt like she was going to throw up.

Suddenly it stopped. She felt relief.

Nik closed the laptop and set a few pages filled with notes on the table. He pulled Stefan aside and whispered something to him about Elena losing a lot of blood and that she would need antibiotics because her wounds were likely to get infected. He was smart enough to let Stefan know how serious the situation was without further tormenting Damon.

"I know where she's being held." he said with certainty.

They all looked at him, surprised.

"It's a small island, and I've worked with a lot of people who chose to meet in discrete locations. I'm certain I know this place."

Damon actually looked relieved. Knowing where she was was a great start.

"We still don't know who 'M' is." He continued. "I assure you that Mikael is very dead."

"Mason." Caroline said.

Now everyone was looking at her.

"Mason Lockwood, Tyler's Uncle."

Stefan and Damon looked at each other. Neither of them had heard of Tyler having a uncle.

"Tyler was always on the phone with him. He's the person in his family he's closest to."

Nik looked over the shocked faces of the Salvatore brothers. Even when they found out all about Tyler betraying them and sneaking around, they never traced it back to his family or found out about this uncle. Yet he was in constant contact with him. Something told him that this was the 'M' they were looking for.

He gave Caroline a serious look and reached for his pen and paper. "Caroline, I need you to tell me everything you know about Mason Lockwood."

They all listened while she recounted every detail that had sprung to mind. She had met him once a family event Tyler brought her to, and she could give a rough physical description of him. Nik kept sketching, and she would remember different details until he came up with one she thought was pretty accurate.

"Yeah." she nodded "That's him. And he has this tattoo on his arm, like a coyote? No, a wolf, or a werewolf maybe."

They all took a moment and looked at the drawing. They had a face and a location. Now all they needed was a plan.

They spent the next hour discussing possible ways to get to her. Nik had pulled a map up on Stefan's laptop to give him a rough idea of where Elena was. Damon was asking Caroline more questions about Mason. Katherine and Rebecca were leaning against a wall sipping glasses of wine. They were both trying to calm their nerves and make small talk to get their minds off the fact that none of these plans involved them helping. they were both feeling frustratingly useless.

There was a knock.

Damon looked through the peephole. He turned to Stefan "I don't know who this is."

"Probably Becca's brother. He wanted to come and check on her."

Nik snapped his head up. If Kol thought he could stroll in here and join the rescue party, he would lock him in a box and ship him to Siberia. his kid brother only caused more trouble, especially when Rebecca was involved. "Which brother?"

"The one who worries about me getting in trouble, not the one who gets me into trouble." Becca responded and looked though the peephole. "That's him alright." She said to the others.

She opened up the door. Elijah walked in and hugged her.

Rebecca was smiling despite all her protests about him coming there. She was always happy to see her brothers. "Ok, 'Lijah, let me introduce you to everyone, you have to met Stefan..."

He turned to greet the rest of them, and took a step towards Nik to say hello to his brother.

Katherine dropped her wine glass and let out a squeak.

Everyone's attention turned to her. She looked surprised and terrified and guilty all at once.

"Hello Katerina." Elijah said coldly, observing Katherine's shocked expression. "Thank you for having the good sense to be frightened."


	18. Chapter 18

Nik had stood up to greet his brother but he stopped the minute the wine glass smashed against the floor. The burgundy liquid looked ominous splattered across the tiles, sticking to the shards of glass.

He paused, looking at the spill, his brother, and the frightened girl. Caroline carefully stepped over the spill to get a towel. Nik moved toward her, watching intently to make sure she didn't step on any of the glass. Stefan narrowed his eyes as he watched the protective way Nik acted toward her and how she didn't seem to mind.

"Katerina?" Damon snorted, amused by Elijah calling Katherine the wrong name.

"Katerina Petrova was the name she used when we met." Elijah calmly replied. "Although I did find out later that her true name was Katherine Gilbert, she'll always be Katerina to me."

Katherine edged towards the door, looking to escape.

"I wouldn't" Elijah warned.

She backed away from him a bit and sat down.

"Oh no." Stefan said, breaking into the first smile since Elena disappeared. "Is this the guy?"

Katherine nodded, guiltily.

"This is the guy? Rebecca's brother is the guy?"

Katherine just glared at him.

"My brother is the what?" Rebecca asked.

Nik shot Rebecca a confused look. She was slowly putting the pieces together.

Stefan walked over to shake Elijah's hand. "Well done, sir. You're the only one to beat her at her own game. It's an honor to meet you, and not just because of all the wonderful things Becca's said about you."

Elijah looked across the room, trying to put the pieces together.

Nik walked over to his brother. He pointed at Stefan and Damon. "Clients of mine. That one is also Rebecca's boyfriend. The other is with the girl who got kidnapped. And the one you seem to know is the twin sister of the girl who was taken. That just leaves Caroline." He motioned towards her. "She's with me."

"With you?" Elijah asked. He wondered if Niklaus meant that she was his partner on the job.

"My girlfriend." Nik clarified.

Caroline felt stunned, hearing him say it._ I guess that's what you'd call it_, she thought, although it sounded so strange. They did have that talk out on the road, but did that mean he was her boyfriend? It seemed so odd to call him that.

Damon's eyes bugged out.

"Are you kidding me? Care!" Stefan shouted.

"You have a girlfriend?" Elijah spat out. He didn't seem convinced.

Rebecca started to giggle nervously.

"Caroline!" Stefan demanded.

"Stefan, I was going to tell you soon, it just happened and with all this Elena stuff going on..."

"You got here hours ago, how could you not tell me!"

"Because I knew you would react like this!" Caroline protested.

"Are we going to have a problem, Stefan?" Nik challenged, moving protectively towards Caroline.

Rebecca looked at her one brother, about to get into a fight with her boyfriend, and her other brother, glaring at the girl she had felt insanely jealous of only a few hours ago. It was all too much. She kept laughing, and when everyone else shot her looks making it clear that her laughter was not welcome she could only laugh harder.

"Becca, cut it out." hissed Stefan.

"Oh, shush." She replied, kissing him. "Like you said, glass houses."

"Thats not-" He protested.

"It is." She insisted, and walked over to each of her brothers, hugging them again. "You have to admit, this is kind of funny."

Katherine was edging towards the door again.

"Sit down, Katerina!" Elijah shouted, and she meekly went back to her place at the table.

Damon's brow scrunched as Katherine obeyed the orders of the man who just walked in. Katherine kept every man firmly under her thumb. She was the one barking orders and they scurried to cater to her every whim. Who the hell was this guy?

Nik looked bewildered at his brother and the woman that was so afraid of him.

"Elijah, what's this?" He asked, pointing at his brother and Katherine.

"Nik, apparently Elijah has been keeping some secrets from us." Rebecca huffed.

"I'd like to hear Niklaus explain what exactly is going on." Elijah said, looking at Caroline.

"No, I think the first thing we need to talk about is you and Caroline." Stefan spat at Nik, puffing his chest out like he was ready to fight.

"Stefan, you have to trust me." Caroline protested.

"How could you just-" Stefan started.

"I don't give a shit unless it's about Elena!" Damon shouted, trying to regain control of the crowd. He had lost them, they were all scrambling to pick up the pieces of what was going on.

Elijah turned to Nik. "You know when I told you I made a bad business investment while in Eastern Europe for that conference and I needed some time there to work it out?"

"Yes, of course. I had to stay with Becca that month while you were gone, it turned into four or five months if I remember correctly."

"It wasn't exactly a business investment. I... fell in love with a girl who told me her name was Katerina Petrova." A flicker of sadness flashed across his face, but he pushed it away. "It's a very common mistake, I'm told."

Katherine had found a bottle of liquor and was chugging straight from it. She was trapped in here with the one person in the world she was afraid of, and her twin sister was being tortured by some crazy kidnaper. What else was there to do but drink?

Elijah continued. "She got ahold of all my money and cleared my accounts and ran. She took a bunch of my valuables, including a necklace of our mother's I always carry with me. I tracked her down and with some... persuasion, I got it all back. I may have also outed her to the who's who of Eastern Europe, effectively ruining her chance of running her scam anywhere near there ever again. I've made a point of reminding her that I haven't forgotten by sending her a postcard every once in a while, just to let her know how easily I can find her."

Nik looked stunned and impressed. Who knew his straight laced, law abiding brother had it in him?

"Why didn't you just ask me to help? And how did you track her?"

"I'm capable of handling my own mistakes. And I'm well versed in how to obtain classified information. We science nerds are good at some rather useful things."

Nik smiled. "We really are brothers, aren't we?"

Stefan stormed over to Caroline. "You're with him. You and him?"

"Yes."

"Are you crazy, Care? After Tyler you jump right on some guy like that?"

"I didn't plan on this, it just happened!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Stefan, please. There's more to him than what you're seeing. Trust me."

"Care, you're going to get yourself killed!"

"That's rich." Rebecca snorted.

He spun around to look at her.

"You're not one to talk about people being in danger, Stefan." She snapped.

"Becca I didn't mean to.."

"No, go on. Just tell your friend some more about how awful my brother is. When your brother is the one who's girlfriend is being tortured by someone who wants to get back at both of you. That could have easily been me instead of her. So who's going to get who killed?"

"Becca, I..."

"Save it, Stefan." She huffed, moving away from him.

Stefan sighed and walked away to join Katherine in drinking, but not before giving Nik a withering glare.

"She's too good for you." He said.

"I know." Nik replied.

Stefan shook his head and walked away, muttering curses under his breath.

Rebecca slumped on to a couch, glaring at Stefan sitting next to Katherine. She couldn't stand her before, but now that she knew the girl had tried to swindle Elijah and had stolen their mother's necklace, she hated the girl even more.

Nik, Damon and Caroline were whispering about some kind of plan for getting Elena. Stefan glanced over and hesitantly joined them, Katherine followed him to take part in the discussion, still pulling sips from the bottle every few minutes.

It was near dark. Nik wanted to go stake out the place that night, figure out how many people were there and how difficult it would be to get to her. He had begrudgingly agreed to allow Damon to join him, but not before giving him a stern warning that any impulsive behavior would only further endanger Elena's life.

Stefan was in charge of keeping everyone else inside the room and together until they knew for sure if they were still being watched. There was no need to risk more by having them wandering around on their own.

Nik changed into dark clothes and pulled out a few essentials for their observation mission, handing Damon a pair of binoculars and some little gadgets. He looked over to Caroline, who was pacing around nervously.

"We're leaving now. Could be a few hours or all night, not really sure."

"Be careful." She begged.

"Everything's going to be fine." He insisted, stroking the side of her face. "Damon and I won't be getting close enough to be in any danger, and Mason still has another 36 hours before he expects the Salvatores to turn themselves over in exchange for Elena, so he'll be keeping her alive." He had said that last part more for Damon's benefit than hers, knowing he was listening.

Caroline pulled him closer and kissed him.

He hesitantly broke away and took one last look at her, and then around the room. Stefan and Rebecca were bickering and Elijah was glaring at Katherine, who kept trying to put as much space between them as possible.

"Make sure they don't all kill each other while I'm gone, alright love?"

She smiled. He gave Damon a serious nod and the two of them were out the door.

* * *

Damon had never been to this part of the island. Most of their clients preferred the posh, upscale surroundings of the resort, but once they drove inland a bit the scenery changed drastically. The buildings were mostly tiny and run down, the people they passed eyed them suspiciously. they were clearly out of place. They parked a few blocks away and moved though alleys and dirt roads before finding a spot that faced the building she was being held in. Nik and Damon walked through the abandoned building, Damon following as Nik found a good spot to observe.

"Remember what we talked about." Nik warned.

"I know." Damon snipped.

"We can't get any closer until we know what we're dealing with, you can't make a scene no matter what happens."

"I get it. Lets just get started."

Nik nodded and started unpacking gadgets.

"They won't have her in a room with windows. This will pick up the changes in temperature, giving us a rough idea of where people are."

"And that one?" Damon asked.

"Lets me know what kind of electronics are in there."

"The big thing in the bag?"

"Picks up some of the noise. I probably won't be able to get a clear conversation, but it'll get some fragments and an idea of how many voices there are."

Nik plugged the devices into a little charger, and opened a laptop, clicking a few programs open. Damon watched the boxes on the screen start to form multicolored lines and red orange shapes. It looked like an alien language to him, but Nik was focused on it, reading something from the jumbled information.

"Basement." Nik said.

"What?"

"They have her in the basement. There's three figures in there now. Hard to tell how big they are. It looks like one's in the same room as her and two are in the other end of the basement.

"How do you know which one's her?"

"That one." Nik pointed. "In a sitting position. Very still. The others all move a bit more."

Damon watched the red blotch on the screen closer. That was Elena. She was right there and there was nothing he could do about it.

"How do we get to her?"

"For now, we wait and watch. I don't know their patterns. When they sleep, when they're holding weapons and when they're exposed. When they stay near each other and when they wander apart."

"Can't we just go in and start shooting?" Damon asked impatiently.

"Sure, if you want to risk accidentally shooting Elena or having one of them kill her in retaliation."

"So there's nothing we can do right now?"

"This isn't nothing. We're learning. This is going to help up, you just need to be patient."

"Patient, my ass." Sniffed Damon. "When can I go in there and get my girlfriend?"

"You're not going in there." Nik snorted. "You'd be killed instantly."

"You're not doing it alone."

"I called my boss. She's looking for available people in the area. There are some friends of hers who travel around here."

"I don't want their help. I'm going to save Elena."

"You're not as experienced as we are. You'll mess it up and get her killed."

"So I'm supposed to just stand around and wait while someone else rescues her?"

"Of course not." Nik replied calmly. "You can just walk in with me and ruin all my hard work. Get everyone killed with you ineptitude. Does that sound better to you?"

* * *

Rebecca snatched the bottle away from Stefan and pointed to the kitchen.

"Elijah ordered dinner for us. Go set the table or something."

Katherine got up to follow Stefan, but Rebecca stood in front of her.

"Not you, slutface. You stay away from him."

Katherine hiccuped and slurred a bit as she spoke. "Oh believe me.. It's not Stefan I'm interested in."

"If you think you can fool my brother again, you're not very smart."

"I know, Elijah hates me forever. It's too bad. He was the cutest out of all the guys I've worked. Great hair. And when he came storming into my hotel room, demanding that necklace back, finding me after weeks of running... Well I always did prefer men who take charge."

"You're pathetic."

"And you seem to have a surplus of brothers. I've heard all about them. I wonder if I can get Kol to fall in love with me as well. Or maybe I can find the mysterious Finn, Elijah was always talking about how he wished he could find him again, be reunited with his brother..."

"Shut up. You don't have any right. My family.."

"Oh your family. I'm so sorry." Katherine sneered. "Is it your family thats tied to a chair, being tortured as we speak?"

She stormed past Caroline and into one of the bedrooms.

Rebecca gave Caroline an exasperated look.

"She's usually more fun." Caroline shrugged. "Although I don't blame you for disliking her, considering what she did to Elijah."

"Elijah can take care of himself." Rebecca sniffed.

"What's that about me?" Elijah asked, wheeling a tray full of food into the room.

"Oh, the foods here." Caroline smiled at him, trying to change the subject.

"Rebecca, please fetch your sorry excuse for a boyfriend and bring him to dinner." He said, ignoring Caroline's remark. "You. Caroline, was it? Please tell Katerina the food is here. I expect her to sit and eat dinner with us like a normal human being instead of hiding in the shadows like a feral cat."

Caroline was surprised by the man's formality and authoritative presence. He had just walked in and he was already acting like he ran the show.

"Oh, uh." She stammered, and scurried out of the room to get Katherine.

Katherine was shaking and drinking from yet another bottle when Caroline popped her head in the room.

"Elijah wants you to eat dinner with us."

"I can't believe his brother is your Nik..." Katherine whispered. "I brought him up to the hotel room. I fell asleep with him right in there. And he's Elijah's brother."

"Kat, are you ok?"

"He could have been there to kill me. I would have walked right into it."

"Katherine, Nik's not going to hurt you. And Elijah, I don't think he'll kill you now. If he was going to, wouldn't he have already done it?"

"You don't understand, Caroline. Elijah's smart. He's playing chess with me, always ten moves ahead. He's going to do something, I just know it."

"Did he hit you? Threaten your life?" Caroline asked.

"Nothing like that. Worse. He ruined me. I can't run jobs in a lot of places because of him. He lost me a lot of money and potential johns. I have to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder, wondering if he's about to tip off the person I'm working."

"Katherine, you lie and steal for a living. Someone would eventually find you out."

"No. I'm better than that. I always look out for myself. But he was different."

"Smarter."

"Yes... but not just that. When I snuck out of his house, wearing his mother's necklace and holding a suitcase of his money, that was the only time I ever felt bad about it. I wanted to run back to him and give it all back. I almost did, but..."

"But what?"

"He's too good for me. He's too smart and moral. Eventually he would have found out about my past, or broken my heart and left me alone and penniless. I will always protect myself. I had to leave."

"You cared about him?"

"It stared out as a job, but I fell for him." Katherine whispered, the flood of alcohol in her system allowing her to speak without worrying about how exposed and silly it made her look to her sister's friend.

Caroline smiled and helped Katherine steady herself so they could walk to the kitchen.

"I think when Nik gets back, you should have a talk with him. I think how you feel about Elijah is a lot like how he felt about me. And he managed to find a way to win me over. Even when I really hated him for what he did."

"We can't all get a fairy tale ending." Katherine shrugged.

"Why not?" Caroline asked hopefully. She wiped the mascara stains off Katherine's cheeks and led her to the table.

* * *

Elijah was sitting across from Stefan and Rebecca was at Stefan's side, glancing nervously at her brother.

"And Stefan's also an amazing cook, and he's really into the Godfather movies, aren't those your favorites, Elijah?" Rebecca was rambling on.

"Enough, Becca." He sighed. "I get it, I'll be nice." He turned to Stefan. "I don't approve of your career and I don't think you're anywhere near good enough for my sister, but I'll respect her choice to be with you, so long as she's safe, happy, and you don't interfere with her education, understood?"

"Yes."Stefan gulped out.

"Rebecca has another three years of College, and I expect her to attend graduate school as well. It would be unfortunate for her to waste all her potential and run off with the likes of you." Elijah said calmly.

"I don't want her to have to pick me or school." Stefan said. "I know it's important to her."

"Stefan found an apartment in New York so he can visit me at school whenever he's free." Rebecca said. "And I can travel with him during the summer and breaks."

"So you'll only spend part of your year in constant danger?" Elijah sniffed.

Stefan glared, but he knew he was right. After what happened to Elena, it would be foolish to promise he could keep Rebecca safe.

"Elijah, it's my choice."

"It's a bad choice, Becca."

She pouted. There was nothing to say that could convince him.

Caroline walked into the room, easing a stumbling Katherine into a chair before taking a seat herself.

"How nice of you ladies to join us." Elijah smiled. "It seems that I have another sibling's significant other to get to know. Tell me, Caroline, how did you end up with my brother?"

She glanced at Katherine.

"Well, he was doing a job, and getting to know me was part of it. He ended up caring for me despite how we met and I felt the same. When I found out what he did for work, how he had lied to me, I was angry. I hated him. But I was forced to be around him because of a... unique situation, and gradually he changed my mind. I saw the person I originally cared for was still there, as well as a lot more."

She looked up at Elijah and noticed how his eyes flickered towards Katherine, revealing a glimpse of sadness and nostalgia she hadn't seen before.

"Everyone at this table knows my brother kills people and that he killed our father. No need to dance around it." Elijah replied.

"I saw him do it." Caroline nodded.

"And you weren't smart enough to run away from him?" Elijah smiled.

"I didn't really have a choice."

"You do now. And you choose him."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I saw past the job and I think, even with what he does, he's still good. And he makes me happy in a way that no one else ever could."

"Happy is not a word I would use to describe Niklaus." Elijah sniffed.

"He laughs and smiles every day with me. He's happy when he's with me." Caroline said.

Elijah raised his eyebrows. "Do you have a death wish? What makes you so proud to be the saving grace of such a man? People don't change, Caroline. He'll always be the person you saw kill Mikael. All the laughing and smiles are just a facade. He can only be the person you want him to be for so long before the mask slips."

"You talk like you don't even like him." Caroline said.

"I love him. He's my brother. That is why I'm warning you to be realistic about who he is before you end up ripping his heart out."

"You think I-"

"I think you'll feel like you care about him until he goes on another job, or does another thing a killer does. And then you'll be so upset he didn't change for you, and you'll leave. He doesn't let people in easily, and if you let him down he might never allow himself to care again."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say.."

"Im saying it would make me very angry if you gave my brother some illusion of love and happiness only to leave him because of who he is. If you're going to do that, it better be now, before he's in too deep."

"Wow, you're really serious about the protective older brother thing."

"This isn't a joke."

"I'm not joking. And I know who he is. I saw the acid eat away Mikael's body. I felt the blood hit my face when his hand pushed into Mikalel's skin. I saw his eyes when he did it, so don't lecture me about what I don't know."

"Then you know he's never going to change."

"I don't want him to."

"Bold words from such an innocent young thing."

"I'm not so innocent."

"Obviously not, cavorting with the likes of Katerina Petrova, aka Katherine Gilbert." He turned to acknowledge Katherine for the first time. "Tell me, Katerina, is your sister in the same line of work as you? How much of Damon Salvatore's money does she have?"

"Don't talk about my sister."

"I'll refrain from speaking of her until my brother rescues her. Ironic, isn't it, that someone from my family should save the one person you seem to have true feelings for?"

"I'm sorry, Elijah."

"You're sorry I caught you."

"No. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Don't bother with this charade, Katerina, I don't believe it."

"It's true. I never felt bad about what I did, except for when it was you."

"Do you say this to everyone who catches you?"

"No one's ever been smart enough, other than you. But that's not all that set you apart."

"Don't bother, Kat." He warned her.

"You called me Kat." She smiled. "That's what you used to call me. Elijah, you need to know, even though it started as a job, what I felt for you was real. I never wanted to leave that day."

"Don't pretend someone was forcing your hand. You took my money, my dead mother's necklace, and you walked out."

"I was afraid."

"Afraid of not having enough money to buy your own nation? Afraid of what exactly?"

"What would happen if I stayed."

Caroline watched their eyes lock, Katherine's full of tears, pleading and desperate. If she hadn't been drinking all day and terrified of the thought of her twin sister being lost forever, she would have never let her guard down enough to say it. Elijah was looking back with sadness as well, but more anger. He was angry she was trying to claw her way back in, when he had worked so hard to convince himself not to love the devilish woman who had turned his world upside down.

"I've heard enough, Katerina. Stefan, Caroline, please keep what I've said to you in mind. Rebecca, I'll be resting."

Elijah left the table, and the four of them all felt the tension dissipate a little.

Rebecca looked at Stefan, Caroline and Katherine. "You're all crazy, wanting to be with people in this family. We're not easy."

Stefan smiled at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Caroline smiled at the two of them, feeling a pang of worry in her chest as she thought about Nik.

Katherine had slipped away to go hide in the shadows some more. Caroline could only stand to be around Stefan and Rebecca for a few more minutes before excusing herself from the table. All of the bickering between Stefan and Rebecca had faded away and now they were smiling, holding hands, whispering. They were so happy, and all it did was make her wish Nik was there.

She found the bedroom where he had thrown his bags and she dug though his things, finding the shirt he was wearing earlier that day. It still smelled like him. She pulled everything she was wearing off and pulled the shirt on. It was almost like he was there next to her. She got into the bed and closed her eyes, wishing sleep would come so she could speed through the hours where he wouldn't be there and wake up to him.


	19. Chapter 19

Damon drove back, Nik stuck his feet on the dashboard and propped a notepad on his leg, scribbling notes.

"As much as I hate to do this, I suppose you could be of some use. My boss can't seem to find anyone in the area to help me out, and it's always good to have a second set of eyes for this kind of thing. At the very least you can carry her out of there while I pick them off. Try to sleep for a few hours when we get back. The best time to return will be early afternoon, it's when they'll all be either asleep or tired, they're less suspecting of an attack that time of day, and we'll still have a lot of time before they're expecting you to make a trade." Nik said.

Damon looked at him like he was crazy. "You expect me to be able to fall asleep?"

"At least try." Nik shrugged.

"Why are you doing this?" Damon asked, still suspicious of the plan Nik had been explaining to him on the drive back.

"You're her friends." Nik said.

"Caroline's not our friend. She's our family." Damon said, trying to sound as strong as possible when he was falling apart. Elena was right there, he was across the street from her and there was nothing he could do. Knowing she was still tied to that chair drove him crazy. He didn't need more stress from this guy who was trying to take away Caroline. She was like a sister to him. He couldn't lose her too.

"Family." Nik repeated, trying to imagine it.

"Yes. Family. Stefan's my brother by blood, but Elena and Caroline are my family too. Even Katherine. We take care of each other."

"I'm the one taking care of your family."

"Fuck. Who do you think you are, swooping in like this? You're going to ruin everything."

"You're the one who invited me in."

"I didn't think it would be like this."

"Let me guess, you thought after you got rid of Tyler, Stefan and Caroline would fall in love, You'd marry Elena, he's marry her, be best man at each other's weddings, all your business problems would be solved, and you'd have a happy little life with all the loose ends sewn up. Just the four of you. Your family." Nik said.

"Something like that." Damon said, absently touching the box in his pocket.

Nik noticed the motion, the distinct shape, and realized just how close his guess was. "You're going to ask her to marry you."

Damon begrudgingly pulled out the box and handed it to him. Nik opened it up and looked at the huge cushion cut diamond solitaire atop the platinum band. It was extravagant, even for someone as wealthy as Damon.

"Wow." Nik said. "When were you going to..."

"I was waiting until after things with Tyler blew over, but then just when it seemed like the time was right, we all had to run.. and she was so worried when she was separated from Caroline. The two of them became inseparable the day we introduced them. When Tyler insisted on bringing her along, I wanted to strangle him, but Caroline became one of us so quickly. She and Elena need to have each other in order to have some sense of balance with this life. I couldn't ask her when Caroline was gone. And I thought once you two were back here, I could find the right moment, but then she was gone..."

Nik handed him the box. "You'll get her back."

"I want to kill Mason Lockwood."

"I can assure you, he'll be dealt with." Nik said.

"No. I want to do it."

"Damon, you're not one of us. It changes you. Let me take care of it."

"No. I need to be the one. He hurt her. I can't let someone else... I need this."

"It would change you."

"This has already changed me."

"You know, we have to kill them all. All three of them in there. Other than Mason, I think they're two women."

"They hurt Elena."

"So you don't have a problem? You wont get all sympathetic and try to let them live? Because if you do they'll go straight to whoever is in charge and send someone bigger than Mason Lockwood after us."

"Ok, I get it, the girls die too."

"And you're sure you can live with being a part of that?"

"Yes." Damon replied instantly.

Nik took a moment to study Damon, to be sure he was serious about this.

"Alright. Let me rearrange some things. It might be possible. How good of a shot are you?"

Damon snorted "Just get me in close enough range that it won't matter."

Nik laughed "That bad?"

"Let's just say my aim has never been so great."

"Alright, we'll figure out a way."

"What made you change your mind? To let me do this?"

"I'd want to be the one.. if it were Caroline."

"You're really not backing down, are you? You're going to shove your way into all our lives."

"My siblings seem to have already infiltrated your family. It seems like we'll be seeing more of each other one way or another."

Damon shook his head and concentrated on driving. All the Mikaelsons in his life were giving him a headache.

* * *

Caroline heard the door open and sprung up in bed. She heard Damon and Nik talking to Katherine in their living room. Without thinking about the fact that she was only wearing Nik's shirt, she bolted out of the room and into his arms.

He dropped the bag he carrying when he saw her and walked quickly towards her. His hands captured the sides of her face and he watched her intently, seeing the relief in her eyes as she looked at him, glad he returned unharmed, but still aware that the dangerous part was yet to come.

Without thinking of their audience, he kissed her. She kissed back passionately, looping her arms around his back to pull him closer. He traced his hands down her sides, feeling the soft fabric of her shirt- wait- his shirt. He broke away to look at her. She was wearing his shirt, the one he had on yesterday, when he had her pinned against the hood of the car, not caring who saw them, he was wearing it when she said she loved him. She had pushed her hands under it, raking her hands all over his body. He wanted to return the favor, and wondered if she was wearing anything under it. He would never get tired of the sight of her in his clothes.

He leaned down to kiss her again, his fingers finding the hem of the shirt, grazing against her thigh, slowly creeping up.

Someone was coughing loudly, and he felt Caroline pull away, blushing bright red.

Katherine looked both of them up and down, annoyed by their little show.

"There are seven bedrooms in this suite. Please find one." She sniffed.

"Sorry Kat." Caroline mumbled, and pulled him towards the room she was sleeping in.

Damon and Katherine exchanged grossed out faces.

"How's my sister?" She asked him warily.

He just sighed and slumped down in a chair.

"She'll be better once I get her back."

"Damon, maybe you should leave this to the professionals. If you make a mistake..."

"I won't. And no one will fight harder for her than me. I need to be there."

"Ok." she nodded. "You better get some rest."

"I'll rest when Elena's safe."

"Damon, you look like you haven't slept in days."

"You think she has?"

"She's my sister. Don't talk to me like you're the only one who cares."

"It's beginning to feel like it."

"Stop it. We're trying to keep level heads and focus. If you let your emotions rule you, you're going to get her killed."

"I'm the one who's going to keep her alive."

"I'll believe that when my sister's back."

* * *

Caroline dragged Nik across the suite into one of the bedrooms and locked the door behind them before pushing him against the bed. He sat down and pulled her her with him, so she was straddling his lap. The shirt rode up a bit and he moved his hand beyond the hem, tracing the edge of the thin lace fabric she was wearing under it.

She was kissing him like he had been gone for months instead of hours. He pulled her in tighter, appreciating every moment. She broke away to catch her breath and smiled at him. He could get lost in a smile like that. No one looked at him that way, no one except her.

"If this is the type of greeting I'll get every time I leave..."

"I was so worried..."

"This was nothing. We were just watching."

"When are you going back?"

"In the late morning."

"You'll be careful?"

"Of course. It'll be nothing. I've been in much worse situations."

"But you're doing this because of me. If anything happens to you I'll never forgive myself."

"Everything will be fine." He promised.

"Nik." She whispered. He traced a finger along the side of her face and saw the tears begin to form in her eyes. One slid down her cheek and he wiped it away, kissing the place where it had fallen.

"Don't cry." He said. His stomach twisted when she looked like that. It was awful to see her cry and even worse to know it was because she was worried about him. "Stop, everything's going to be fine."

"I can't. I didn't want to in front of you but I'm so scared." She said, more tears falling. "I spent so much time pushing you away when I could have been honest with myself and admitted I wanted to be with you. Now I finally have you, and you're leaving."

"It'll be a few hours. Nothing at all."

"But what if something happens?"

"I promise you, nothing will happen."

"Don't say that." She shook her head, unable to believe it.

"This time tomorrow, we'll be sitting by the pool with Elena, drinking margaritas and everyone will be happy and safe."

She relaxed a little. "Well, everyone except Katherine. She's really messed up about the whole Elijah thing."

He smiled. "Is it wrong to be proud of him? I didn't know he had it in him."

"What's his plan, with her?" She asked.

"I have no idea, sweetheart."

"She got really drunk and told me some things she probably would have kept secret otherwise. I think, as horrible as what she did to him was, she really did care for him. She said he was different."

"Do you believe her?"

"I do... I also think she's selfish and she doesn't care about who she hurts. She's the total opposite of Elena, but she's also really fun and ever since she saw him, that spark is gone. It's like the light inside her went out. If his goal is to make her suffer, it's working."

"I don't know if my brother is that sadistic, but this is a whole new side of him."

"He should know. She wasn't just using him. I think it was real for her."

"You're so concerned about her happiness."

"I just felt something when she told me about it."

"What's that?"

"She's you."

"Me?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. She's selfish and reckless and she makes her money like you, traveling the world and hurting people. You both lie and you can both look at the people around you as less than. You can justify doing horrible things to people you don't care about."

"Hey!" he protested. "Easy there."

"But there's good in both of you as well. You know I see that in you. You're loyal to the small group of people you care about. You're talented and intense and addictive. She's not all bad either. She's the one who's the most fun in any group of friends, and she cares about her sister more than anything. She met him like you met me, though her job and lying to him. But if I believe you when you say you really fell for me, then I have to believe it's possible that the same thing could have happened to her."

He nodded. "I'll talk to him. But Elijah's all about honor and the value of someone's word. Once his trust is broken, it's not likely it'll be regained."

"Thank you. I just want him to know how she really feels. She won't tell him, and I'm sure he wouldn't listen to me."

"You don't seem too fond of him."

"He's a good brother. Very protective of you."

"Trying to protect me? From you?" He smiled.

"Don't laugh! I can be very threatening." She huffed.

"I'm sure. Poor little darling, Elijah was mean to you." He mocked.

"Stop it! He was probably just freaked out by everything."

"By what?"

"You introduced me as your girlfriend and he almost fell over."

"Was that wrong of me? I know we said we would be together, I just figured that was what you meant. If you don't want me to call you that..."

"No, it's great. It just seemed like it really shocked him."

"I don't think I've had a girlfriend since the 9th grade."

"You're kidding."

"That was around when everything happened. When it all changed and I started doing this kind of work."

"You were that young?"

"I didn't exactly lie when I told you what I was like in high school. I really was living separate from my siblings, and I was too busy working to be social."

"I just assumed you were working some after school job, not running around beheading people."

"I've only beheaded a few. It's a messy way to kill someone."

"I'm going to ignore that. I just can't believe you were so young. And you didn't get to have normal relationships."

"What's the point in building a relationship with someone you have to lie to about everything?"

"You started to, with me."

"I couldn't help it with you. I decided I'd rather keep things from you than not have you at all."

"Well now you don't have to choose, because you know I'll be with you no matter what. No truth is scary enough to make me not want to be with you."

"Are you so sure?"

"I watched you kill your father. Your eyes do this weird thing when you switch into murder mode and you get all cold looking and scary. I seriously doubt you can find a way to scare me away now."

"Stepfather, really."

"So you really haven't had a girlfriend in like ten years?"

"I've had... short term companions."

"Ok! I don't need the details."

He smiled "So you're wearing my shirt again. Why didn't you take a clean one, that one's filthy."

"This one smelled like you."

He shook his head, amused by her. "I thought after a week of wearing my clothes you'd be eager to get back into yours."

"Did you want it back?" She smiled, pulling the hem up slightly.

"I.. um... uh.." He stammered, watching her slowly pull the shirt up, exposing more skin until the blue lace panties she was wearing were visible. "Yes. I think I would like it back. right now." He blurted out, kicking himself for sounding so eager.

"Since it _is_ your shirt, I guess that's only fair." She smiled and moved away so she as standing in front of where he sat on the bed. She pulled it off slowly, glad that she took the time to change into a sexy matching bra and underwear set before he got back.

He looked hungrily at her, standing there mostly exposed, holding his shirt out in her hand.

"Did you want this?" She dangled the shirt in front of him.

"You're making the whole _lets wait until Elena's safe_ thing very difficult." He said.

"Oh? Well we've never been good at waiting." She smiled, throwing the shirt at him.

"Don't make me be the responsible one." He pouted.

"Why?" she asked, walking back to him so her skin almost touching him.

"You're not going to be here 100%. You're worried about Elena, about me leaving soon."

"So I can't have some fun with you before you leave?"

"Caroline. It's not supposed to be like this."

"Like what?" She asked innocently, climbing back onto his lap and trailing her fingers through her hair.

He tried to stay still but his hands betrayed him almost instantly, wrapping around her, running up and down her sides to feel her soft skin.

"Like this. With your friend and my family on the other side of the door. When you're preoccupied with worry about a kidnapped friend. Without any kind of date first or anything to make the occasion special."

"Stop acting like this is the first time." she whispered, pulling at his shirt.

"It is." He said, his brain clouding over as she pulled his shirt over his head and kissed along his stomach and chest.

"Nik, we've had sex before." She replied, moving her kisses up to his collar bone and sucking gently.

He gripped on to her tighter, closing his eyes, trying to remember why it was such a bad idea for them to just go at it right now.

"That was before you really knew me. Now you do."

"And I still want you."

"You don't see how significant this is? Caroline, please, I'm trying to do right by you."

"And I'm trying to take your pants off, so stay still."

"You have no idea how difficult you're making this."

"I think I do." She smiled.

"Caroline, please, it has to be perfect."

She looked into his eyes and saw it. He wanted to do things right, and as much as she wanted fuck his brains out, she would let him have his way. It would be super embarrassing if someone like Elijah heard them anyway and Damon would throw a shitfit if he found out people were having sex during this crisis.

"Ok, so we'll wait on this until you rescue Elena and we can slip away to anywhere out of earshot of your siblings." She offered.

"It's not that I don't want to right now. Believe me, I do. But not with everything that's going on right now.

"I understand. We're always rushing into things." She smiled.

He smiled back at her.

"And I'm taking you on a date first." He added.

"Not necessary."

"No negotiation. You agreed to one back in the shelter. I plan on delivering."

"I don't see how that matters now that I agreed to way more than a date."

"Still happening."

"Fine." She huffed, feigning annoyance. "So what now?"

"I need to rest a bit before I go back out."

"Do you want me to leave you alone so you can sleep?" She offered.

"Actually, I was hoping you would stay." He said.

She smiled and nodded, climbing over to the top of the bed to pull the sheets down. She wiggled in and he slid in next to her, pulling her into his side.

He pulled off his watch and set an alarm for when he needed to be up, placing it on the bedside table.

"Promise me again." She said.

"Everything is going to be fine." He reassured her, and they both drifted off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

"If she's anything like her sister, she's not worth saving." Elijah muttered to Nik, handing him a cup of coffee.

Nik took a sip. "She's Caroline's friend, of course she's worth saving. And

perhaps you should look at Katherine from a new perspective."

"You've got to be kidding." Elijah huffed. "Already repeating the words of that little pet of yours?"

"I said I'd pass on the message. She seems to think you should give Katherine another chance."

"Message received. Not going to happen."

"Because you're so swarmed with other women offering?"

"I can't help it if I work in a male dominated field! I don't meet women at work, and work is my life. Besides, being alone is better than being lied to."

"Maybe she wasn't lying about everything." Nik offered.

"More words straight from your little plaything's mouth."

"She has a name, Elijah."

"Yes, her name is Caroline. How much else do you know about her? How long have you even known her?"

"I don't need to justify this to you."

"Then why are you acting like you want my approval?"

"It would mean a lot to me if you could be supportive of this. That doesn't mean you can change my mind."

"Supportive of you dating a job's live in girlfriend? You think she'll be so forgiving about you killing her last boyfriend when you break up?"

"I'm not planning on breaking up."

"Oh, you think a girl like that will follow you around forever? Waiting at home with a warm meal to welcome you back from your latest kill like a nice little housewife?"

"Elijah. You need to watch yourself."

"I know girls like her. I learned the hard way. I see what she wears when she bothers to put on anything other than one of your shirts. I see how she acts. The way something is between her and Rebecca's boy. She's not the type of girl you can have something serious with."

"You don't know anything about her."

"I know she's friendly with Katerina. That should tell you enough. I know that both of the Salvatore boys seem to touch her a lot when they speak to her. I wonder why they were so kind to take her in, keep her around and get rid of her boyfriend. After all these years of being alone, you choose her? What is so special about her? She's just some dumb blonde who's going to get bored and leave in a month."

"Now you are going to far." Nik warned.

"No, you're going to far. Rebecca's a foolish teenager, getting wrapped up with these people. She's too young to know better, what's your excuse?"

"I didn't ask you to explain yourself when you told me about Katherine."

"Katerina was a long time ago."

"You had already found out about her when you called and asked me to stay with Becca a while longer. That means that she got you to fall in love with her and give her access to your accounts in under a month. Who's the foolish teenager, Elijah?"

"I had my revenge. And I won't fall for someone like her again. Excuse me for not wanting you to either."

"Caroline's not like that! She isn't using me for anything!"

"Really? You're so certain?"

"I have a job to prep for."

"Can you still call it that, when you're doing it for free because your little girlfriend asked you to?"

"She didn't have to ask."

"She just knew you'd do for her what you'd normally charge half a million American dollars for?"

"There are three people in there Elijah, that's worth an even million. I offered because I care about her and keeping her loved ones safe. And she's never asked about how much I make. Not once."

"I'm sure she has no interest in your earnings. It must be your charming personality that won her over. I bet she just swooned when she saw you murder your own father."

"You didn't complain."

"Just be careful, Niklaus." Elijah warned again, walking out of the room. "Things that seem too good to be true always are."

Nik knocked on Damon's door. He answered it, eyes red and skin sallow. He had been crying and he couldn't manage to hold his food down. Nik gave him a pitying once over. This guy would end up killing himself from the guilt if they didn't get her back soon.

"Ready?" he asked

Damon nodded. "Give me five minutes."

Nik walked back into the room where Caroline was still sleeping. He sat on the edge of the bed where she was and absently traced a finger along her arm as he watched her. He was relieved that she hadn't overheard his conversation with Elijah. She didn't need to know how low his brother thought of her. He looked down at her, peacefully sleeping, and worried Elijah was right. What if getting her to agree to be with him wasn't the hard part? What if keeping her would be impossible? She was so beautiful, spirited, compassionate, so loyal to her friends. How long would she be able to put up with someone like him? How long could he hold her back from finding someone who actually deserved her?

She stirred a little and curled against him.

_Forever. _He thought._ I could hold on to her forever and that makes me a bigger monster than I ever thought I could be. This isn't fair to her, but I'll never be selfless enough to walk away from her and let her have something better. Even if she decided to leave, I'll chase her across the world, doing whatever it takes to bring her back. I need this, and she finally said yes. She said she loved me. How is that even possible?_

He kissed her forehead and her eyes slowly opened.

"Is it time?" She asked.

He nodded.

"I don't want you to go." She whispered, feeling guilty immediately for saying it out loud.

"You know I have to. And everything will be fine."

"Come back." She begged.

"I will. I promise."

She hugged him, never wanting to let go. She wanted to say it again, tell him she loved him. It seemed so important to make sure he knew, but she bit her tongue. He hadn't said it back when she said it before, and she didn't want to be that girl, the one who freaks a guy out by getting too emotionally invested too fast. She just pulled him tight and hoped he understood. When he finally broke away to leave she watched him walk out in the hallway and exit the suite with Damon. Once the main door shut she ran to the bathroom and turned the shower on so no one could hear her cry.

* * *

Elena opened her eyes. It wasn't a nightmare, it had all been real. She was still in the windowless room with the bright florescent light hanging from the ceiling. It was impossible to tell how long she had been asleep, how long she had been there. The cuts and burns scattered over her body were itching. She knew that was good. Itching meant they were scabbing over, healing. But still it drove her crazy not to be able to scratch at them because her hands were tied down.

The man who grabbed her said he was sending a message. A message to the Salvatore brothers. She didn't understand. It didn't make any sense. It made less sense when the two women with him joined him in torturing her for what felt like hours, pushing a camera against her face.

How much longer before they came back to do it again? They said they would kill her if the Salvatores didn't show up in two days. She couldn't tell how much time had passed. She wondered if she had hours or minutes left to live.

The door opened again. She tensed up, waiting to see which of them had come for her.

Damon peaked his head in. He checked around the room to make sure no one else was there, and then he was at her feet, cutting away the tape that tied her to the chair.

She was convinced that she had passed out again. It had been so long since she had eaten anything, she was starting to drift in and out of sleep without noticing it. It was all a dream.

He even smelled like Damon in this dream. It was so real. Elena relaxed a bit, even if it was just in her mind, she could see him one last time. If this was what dying was like, maybe it wouldn't be so scary. He pulled at the edge of the tape over her mouth and whispered. "You can't make a noise, ok? We're going to get you out of here."

She nodded, in a daze.

He pulled the tape off and she felt the sting of it pulling on her skin. This wasn't a dream.

"You're really here." She whispered.

"Yes. I'm so sorry, Elena. I got here as fast as I could."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

He looked around the room.

"Can you stand?"

She tried it, her feet and hands now detached from the chair. It felt a little wobbly, but she managed to take a few steps.

"I'm ok."

"Alright. Nik is here. We're going to get you out. Just stay behind me."

She nodded and followed him out of the room. He was holding a gun and looking over some map he drew on the back of his hand, consulting it every time they reached a turn.

A loud popping noise made both of them jump. Damon moved closer to where the noise had come from, shielding Elena by walking in front of her. A woman darted out in front of them.

Jules lunged at Damon but something knocked her to the ground.

Nik pulled the trigger. The bullet went right between her eyes and she dropped to the floor.

He glanced at her to make sure she was dead, and then looked back at Damon, as if it was nothing.

"That's both of the women. Mason's still here somewhere." Nik said.

As if on cue, Mason dated out from behind them and grabbed Elena. Damon jumped at him and tried to pull him away but Mason headbutted him, sending him flying back onto the floor. Elena threw a few week punches as she struggled to get free, but her body was weakened from the torture and lack of food and she couldn't get away.

Nik aimed.

"Sorry Damon." He muttered, there was no choice but to do it himself.

Mason had a gun of his own, however, and he brought it into sight as soon as Nik raised his. Mason pointed the trigger at Elena's temple.

"You shoot me and I'll take her down with me." Mason said.

Nik glared back at him. He needed Mason dead. Elena looked terrified that Nik hadn't dropped his weapon yet.

"Nik, please. Help." She said.

Nik and Mason locked eyes, both daring the other to make a move, both knowing that they couldn't stop the other from retaliating if they fired.

Something blurred across the room and a shot rang out. Nik felt a sharp pain and confusion as more waves of pain rushed through him. His arm felt like it had been dipped in fire and it was all wet. He reached over to feel it and his hand came back

bloody. He felt his head spin and his legs gave out.

Damon was on top of Mason. He had lunged at him and knocked him to the ground when he and Nik were facing off. Damon swatted Mason's gun away from Elena, but Mason still managed to pull the trigger before he dropped it. Both guns were out of his reach, but his hands were around Mason's neck.

"Damon... shoot him." Nik sputtered out.

Elena scurried over to the gun on the floor and picked it up. Damon reached one hand out to grab it, keeping the other on Mason's neck.

"Head. Not chest. Shoot him in the head." Nik said, trying to hold his shirt tight against his arm. A lot of blood was coming out. Getting shot always sucked, but he had never gotten hit like this. A few bullets grazed him, one went straight through his calf a few years ago, but this was the only time a bullet ever stuck in him. He could make out the shape imbedded in the hole in his arm. It needed to come out, but that would bring even more blood. He was shivering. The loss of blood was starting to make him feel cold all over.

Elena walked over to Damon holding the gun.

"Move out of the way." She said.

"Elena. Give it to me." Damon said, reaching out for the gun.

"Move." She said again, crouching on the floor so the barrel rested against Mason's forehead.

"Elena you don't have to do it, let me." Damon tried, but it was too late.

She pulled the trigger, the force of the gun knocking her back. Mason's eyes stopped moving and a large red puddle formed behind his head, chunks of brain matter floating in the liquid.

Damon looked at Elena first to make sure she was ok. She was stunned but not hurt. He reached for the bag in his pocket. He and Nik had a plan for how to leave this crime scene. He ripped open the bag of coke and shook it around the room. He placed a scale a some smaller bags on the table, setting the scene for a deal gone wrong. He stuffed both of the guns in his pocket and scooped Elena up to carry her to the car.

He turned around.

"Can you walk, man?" he asked Nik.

"I'm fine." Nik replied, stumbling a bit as he followed them out of the building and back to the car. Once they were outside he was leaning heavily against Damon with each step. Damon was relieved that no one was in view of their walk to the car, because the battered girl and the guy soaked in blood would attract a lot of attention.

Nik climbed into the back seat and laid down. Damon placed Elena in the front and climbed around to the drivers side. There was food, water and antibiotics waiting for her by her seat. Nik told Damon to make sure she took the pills with food as soon as they got her out of there, her wounds could easily become infected. Nik had even left a blanket and hand sanitizer for her, in case she was cold or felt dirty.

Nik watched the world turn to swirls of color from the back seat. The car was moving fast, much faster than the speed limit. He could make out the voices in the car. Elena was in better shape than he had anticipated. She had been able to walk out of there with just some shallow wounds and a bit of lightheadedness from not eating. Damon was badgering Elena to eat more and kept asking if she took the pills.

He had one hand on the wheel and the other resting on her arm. It was like he was trying to prove to himself that she was really safe.

"I love you."

"I love you too. You've already said it fifty times."

"It's been almost two days. I have a lot of I love yous to catch up on."

"I can't believe you came to rescue me. I thought I was going to die in there."

"I would never let that happen to you. I'll always protect you, ok? And from now on you're not leaving my sight."

"I"m fine now. You're here."

"We've got tons of stuff to patch you up back at the suite, Nik carries a lot of medical supplies with him. Did you take the pills? You need to drink more water."

"Damon, I'm fine. And for the millionth time, yes I took the pills. With food and water. I just need some rest. It's him I'm worried about."

Elena turned around.

"Nik. Nik, can you hear me?"

He smiled weakly.

"Nice shot, lady." Nik said, half delirious.

"Damon, he looks pale. All that blood." Elena said.

"I'm calling Stefan to see if we can do anything. We can't take him to the hospital, they'll trace it back to us being with Mason." Damon said.

"Damon I don't care if I get caught, we have to do something." Elena shouted.

"Nik said no hospitals. Just let me talk to Stefan, we'll figure it out."

"Nik?" She asked again "Hang on, ok? We're going to find help."

"I promised her." Nik said.

"You what?" Elena asked.

"I promised her everything would be fine."

"Damon, what's he talking about?"

"Tell her I do to. She said it but I didn't. I didn't know. But I do now. Tell her." Nik continued. His eyes were losing focus and he could just make out Elena's shape. He knew it was important to get the message across.

"Damon I don't understand what he's saying." Elena called out.

"Just keep him talking, I think it's better if he stays awake."

"Ok." She turned to Nik. "Tell her what? Tell who?"

"I do. She said it and I didn't. Everything happened so fast. But I do."

"Nik, I don't understand."

"With Robbie, she saw me, no one _sees_ me. We could be happy."

"Who's Robbie, Nik?"

"Family... with her..."

"Nik! Stay awake!"

"I need her to know... I didn't mean to break my promise."

"Nik, keep talking to me, we're almost there."

"Full of light..." He whispered, and his eyes closed.


	21. Chapter 21

Damon was on the phone. "Just be by the cars. We can't let anyone see him like this. Too many questions."

He hung up and searched through his address book, swerving a bit as he tried to keep his eyes on the road and the phone at the same time.

"Hey buddy. I need your help... Well, actually, I need her help. She's still with you, right?... Shit, Panama? How long will that take?... Can you send her ahead, like on a plane or something? ... No, stay with the boat... we might need it. We might have to get out of here, a really bad situation. Tell her to bring her stuff... Bullet wound. What, no, I don't want to... Oh, fine put her on...Hey, nice to hear from you too, Doc. I can't really see now, I'm driving..."

He looked over at Elena. "She needs to know how deep the bullet is in and where on his arm it landed, can you talk to her?"

"Yeah" Elena responded and grabbed the phone.

"It's me. I'm fine, just some scratches. Ok, I'll look." She looked over at Nik who was passed out in the back seat. "It's at least an inch into his arm. The top part, about a third of the way down from shoulder to elbow... I don't know, a lot. Like there's a puddle next to him that's about two feet wide. He's passed out. ... I don't know how to do that. Can't you get here faster? Shit, we're here. Stay on the line."

They had pulled into a private parking lot that led directly to the elevator. Stefan, Rebecca and Elijah were waiting with a wheelchair and blankets to cover Nik. They pulled him out of the back seat and covered him, Elijah pushing the chair towards the elevator.

Rebecca started to hyperventilate when she saw her brother. "Is he dead? Is he going to die?"

Caroline had flipped when they got the call. Katherine was physically holding her down back in the room, because she would have caused too much of a scene if she went down there. She was screaming so loud that Katherine had to clamp a pillow over her mouth to keep security from coming up to their room.

Elena handed Stefan the phone. "The Doctor. She can get here soon, but not fast enough. If we don't get the bullet out and close it up, he'll die within the hour."

"We have to dig it out?" Stefan looked a bit green.

"Thats not all we have to do." Elena looked grim. Elijah turned around to face her, his face pale at the sight of his brother.

Elena took a deep breath. "He lost so much blood... We can't take him to the hospital. Stefan, you need to rob a blood bank."

"O positive." Elijah added.

Elena shot him a confused look.

"This isn't the first injury my brother has sustained, and I have a very good memory. He needs O positive."

Stefan looked over Elena. "You look like shit, Lena, you need to lie down, you're injured too. I'll get the blood."

"I'm coming with you" Elijah said.

Stefan tried to protest but he was cut off.

"He's my brother, and I don't trust you to not mess this up. Now who has a steady hand to get that bullet out of him?"

"I'll do it." Damon offered. "Just go."

"No, I will." Rebecca said. "You're useless after what you've been through and Elena looks like she's about to pass out. Take care of her, and I'll take care of my brother."

Damon turned around. She was right, Elena was leaning against the car, clutching her stomach. She had made it seem like her injuries were not that bad, but it was all an act. She was just worried about Nik and didn't want to distract anyone. He nodded and pulled Elena up in his arms, carrying her towards the Elevator.

Rebecca was pushing the wheelchair holding Nik. Stefan gave her the phone, explaining that their doctor friend was on the line. Damon tossed Elijah the keys.

"Good luck" he shouted out as Stefan and Elijah ran towards the car.

"You too." Stefan replied.

They got back into the suite and Damon helped Rebecca pull Nik out of the chair and on to the tile floor in the kitchen area. They pealed the blankets away from him, both completely soaked through with his blood. His cold skin was turning white and tinged with blue.

"Nik, please wake up." Rebecca said.

Damon handed her scissors and they cut his blood soaked shirt off to get a better look at the wound.

"Damon i need you to boil some water, get me towels and Nik's first aid kit from his room. Everything else I need should be in the kit." Rebecca replied, the phone tucked against her shoulder, listening to the woman on the phone list the things she would need.

Damon nodded, laying Elena on one of the couches and scurrying around.

"Katherine!" He shouted "Get out here and watch Elena."

Katherine was already running towards them. She let go of Caroline the second the door opened. She needed to see her sister for herself.

Katherine rushed to Elena's side. "Lena, you scared me. It's ok, go to sleep, I'm here."

Caroline stood in the doorway, watching. Elena was beat up looking, but she was alive. She waved weakly at Caroline and and rested her head back on the couch, letting Katherine fuss over her. Damon was running around grabbing things, bringing them to Rebecca, who was hunched over a body that was surrounded in bloody rags.

It was Nik.

He looked dead. He wasn't moving, and there was no color behind his skin.

No.

He couldn't die.

He promised.

No.

She was running towards him and slipped on the blood, crashing to the tile floor. She crawled the rest of the way until she grabbed his hand.

It was freezing and still.

"NIK!" she screamed.

"NIK WAKE UP PLEASE"

"NO! NIK!"

A rush of pain hit her. She looked forward. Rebecca had slapped her hard across the face.

"Shut up. You just shut up. If you keep screaming someone will call security and he'll die in prison. Do you understand me?"

Caroline nodded and began crying quietly.

Damon had made his way back to Elena, and he and Katherine were checking her over.

Rebecca was cleaning away the wound when suddenly Nik gasped for air, opening his eyes.

He felt enough pain to wake him up. It was like nothing before. The bullet was too deep. He looked up at his sister and girlfriend, both looking back at him through their tears. He didn't know where he was or how he got here.

He coughed and looked confused at the world around him, unable to form words in his dazed state.

"Nik, I have to get the bullet out." Rebecca said, trying to be calm.

He nodded.

Rebecca was holding some of his medical instruments and looking at the hole in his arm. She felt like she was going to pass out but she knew she was the only one who could do it. Nik felt something sharp in his arm. The pain kept him alert enough to get a few words out.

Caroline was on his other side, holding his hand.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"You're sorry?"

"I promised you everything would be fine."

"Nik, stay with me. Please." She cried.

"I don't have enough hands for that" Rebecca barked into the phone.

"Caroline." She called "I need help."

Nik was closing his eyes again. He was slipping away.

"I'm going to push it up and you grab it with this." Rebecca said, handing Caroline a ling pair of tweezers. "Do you know how to sew?"

"Sew?"

"As soon as we get it out I'm going to pull the skin tight and you have to stitch it shut, ok?"

"I can do it."

"Caroline, I need you to focus. I can't do this alone."

"Ok. Got it." she breathed, looking back at his face. He was passed out.

They got to work and when the bullet was about halfway out he woke up again, stirring enough to make Caroline lose her grip on it.

"Shit!" She yelled.

He cried out what sounded like swear words in a language she didn't know.

"Nik, I'm trying to help you, you have to be still." She said between sobs. His pained expression was making her cry and if she kept crying she wouldn't be able to see.

Damon ran over to hold him down. Rebecca had to dig in again to help Caroline grab ahold of the bullet. Thankfully it was in one piece. He screamed out and Damon pushed a towel over his mouth to muffle the noise. Caroline got the bullet and let it drop on the floor. Rebecca had already dropped the scalpel she was holding and was pulling the skin together to close up the hole. Her fingers kept slipping in the blood that was pouring out faster now.

"Hurry, Caroline!" She hissed.

Caroline nodded and began pushing the thread through his skin, pulling it together. It wasn't a neat line, the hole was jagged and way too wide for this kind of thing, but it was all they had to work with.

She knotted the final stitch and fell to the floor next to him. Rebecca took a step away, already listening to the woman on the phone explain what to do with the blood bags once Stefan and Elijah returned with them.

Damon returned to Elena.

The two of them were alone on the floor.

His eyes were only open a tiny bit. He was trying to hold on, but the darkness kept pulling him back.

She pulled herself closer to him, holding herself against his uninjured side, trying to warm him up.

"Stay, please. You can't leave me." She cried.

"I should have said it."

"What?"

"I wasn't sure... what it was.. but I know now."

"Nik you don't have to talk. Just stay with me, please."

"Caroline.."

"Nik, shh, just save your energy. They're bringing you blood. It will all be better, just stay with me a little longer." She whimpered, hoping she was telling him the truth.

"I lo..." He started, but his eyes rolled back and he was out again.

"Nik? No! Nik, wake up!" She cried.

She couldn't wake him. She pressed her head against his chest and listed to his heartbeat. He was still alive but it was so slow. He had lost too much blood and she didn't know how much longer he would last. He might never wake up.

"You can't leave me... not like this... We haven't had any time at all. Please."

She felt a strong arm pull her away from him. She was powerless to fight it. When his eyes closed it was like all the life had left her.

Damon was pulling her away, he placed her on the couch next to Katherine. Elena was asleep, her head on Katherine's lap.

"They're on their way, ok?" He said to her.

She just nodded and cried into Katherine's shoulder. Katherine put one arm around Caroline and kept the other one resting on her sleeping twin sister. Damon sat on the floor next to the couch, holding Elena's hand.

Rebecca was fumbling with some tubes and needles and finally managed to get an IV in Nik's arm. She put down the phone.

"I've got it all set up. I just need the bags now."

She was calm on the surface, but she was terrified. Her brother was dying right in front of her and all she could do was wait. If he didn't get more blood in his system soon, his organs would start shutting down. She moved the bloody towels away from him and sat next to him, constantly glancing up at the door. Elijah only had a few more minutes until it would be too late.

Stefan was driving faster than he ever had before. Elijah had the bags in his lap. They managed to grab eight without being caught and he hoped it would be enough. He had no idea how these things worked. Stefan's phone buzzed and Elijah grabbed it.

A text from Damon.

**Hurry. He doesn't have much longer.**

They reached the private garage under the tower and Stefan let Elijah out of the car right next to the elevator.

Elijah was running down the hall, holding the bags. Stefan must have texted Damon when he parked because there he was standing in the hallway. Elijah threw one of the bags at him and Damon caught it and threw it to someone standing behind him. Elijah kept running towards them.

When he got to the room he saw Becca holding the bag up, already attached to a tube and dripping into Nik.

"Damon, find something to hold this up with." She shouted.

Elijah was blown away. His little sister had kept her cool and handled it all. She was so much stronger than he ever gave her credit for.

Damon rigged the bag up against a floor lamp so it could drip down into his IV.

"She says this should take about twenty minutes to a half hour to empty into his system, and we should put the second one in as soon as this one empties. She said to keep going until his heartbeat's back to normal." Rebecca said.

Caroline had brought a pillow over to go under Nik's head and put some blankets on him, trying to keep the little heat he had left in. She was at his feet, watching Becca intently through bloodshot, swollen eyes.

Elijah sat next to Rebecca.

"What do we do now?" He asked.

"We wait." She responded. "And hope he wakes up."

* * *

Elijah watched Rebecca attach the third bag of blood. She chucked the emptied second bag on the floor next to the first one. It had ben over an hour and he was still asleep. At least he had two more pints of blood in his system now, and more on the way. Rebecca had assured him that the fact that his heart was still pumping and his body was accepting the blood meant that he wouldn't die from loss of blood, but she knew there were lots of other things that could still kill him.

She leaned against Elijah and watched Nik. He wasn't stirring at all. Caroline was asleep on the floor next to him, her hand resting on Nik's chest. Even in her sleep, she needed to confirm that he was still alive.

Stefan came back over and sat next to Elijah and Rebecca.

"Becca, you're covered in blood." He said, tucking her hair back behind her ear. There was blood matted in it and smeared all up and down her arms.

"I'm covered in blood? Look at him." She motioned to Nik.

"Go take a shower, get some rest. I'll stay with him. I promise I'll get you the second anything happens." Stefan said.

Rebecca looked hesitantly at Elijah. He nodded in agreement.

"I'll stay here as well. You need to get that blood off you. Go."

She agreed to go take a shower, but she was stubborn enough to insist bringing a blanket back out so she could sleep near Nik. There was no way she was leaving his side any longer than she had to.

Elijah watched Rebecca go. Stefan noticed how soft and worried he looked when he watched Nik, and how his expression hardened when he glanced over at the girl next to him.

"Wow, you really don't like her, do you?" Stefan muttered, watching Elijah glare at Caroline.

"Figures you'd jump to her defense. And of course I don't like her. She's the reason he's in this condition."

"Like you were so friendly to her before?"

Elijah's eyes narrowed. "Don't you have any tact? You're with my sister, she's with my brother, and yet you expect me to be nice, knowing the two of you are sneaking around behind both their backs?"

Stefan laughed. He actually had the audacity to laugh in Elijah's face.

"Oh my god. Sneaking around? Gross. Oh god." He wheezed out, clutching his stomach. "Are you high? Like are you actually on something?"

"I don't get the joke." Elijah sniffed.

"You are something else, you know that?" Stefan smiled. "Caroline and I have never ever been like that. Never will. I love her, but that's just gross. She's my family."

"Family?"

"Yeah. From the day we met, we bonded, became really good friends. But that's all it's ever going to be. No matter how much Damon wanted the two of us to get together, neither of us ever saw it like that. Now, she's like my sister."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I need you to. I'm in love with Rebecca. Only Rebecca. I'm not going anywhere."

"She doesn't love him." Elijah looked down at Caroline.

"How can you be so sure?" Stefan asked. "Look at her. She hasn't let go of him since he came in here."

"I always knew it would end this way." Elijah said sadly. "He's been so careful, even with the most dangerous jobs. But now, he lets his emotions come back and it destroys him. All it took was someone telling him what he's wanted to hear for so long."

"What?"

"Our father didn't love him. Our mother... she couldn't show that she did. Once they were gone, my siblings and I remained a bit distant with him. My brother was not loved so he became something unlovable. His heart hardened, he learned to kill without feeling anything. Once we came back into his life, he was shut down, he didn't need our love anymore. He had learned to live without it."

Stefan nodded, letting Elijah continue.

"Why is she doing this?" Elijah asked "I don't know how she got him to let her in, but he's there. Why did she have to play with him?"

Stefan shook his head. "She's not playing a game. I know after your experience with Katherine, you probably have your reasons for being suspicious, but trust me on this. Caroline really cares about Nik. I think she loves him. And we might have fought her on it at first, because of who he is, but she's my family. That means that all of us are going to learn to live with him and make him feel welcome. That's how things work with this group. Hell, between him and Rebecca, you're basically in it too."

"How charming." Elijah sniffed.

"Hey, we're not so bad." Stefan protested.

"I don't want to be anywhere near a group that includes Katerina."

"Katherine was horrible to you. I get that. But right now, you have all the power. She's terrified of you and all mixed up seeing you around because at the same time she did care about you, in her own psychotic bitch way."

Elijah rolled his eyes.

"Just... Kat's not all that bad. You might want to just talk to her."

"I'll consider it. After my brother recovers. If he recovers."

"Hey, he's going to get through this, ok? We've got a doctor on her way. She'll get him back."

Rebecca walked back in the room covered in a blanket. Elijah caught the look in Stefan's eyes when he spotted her. It was all true, everything Stefan had said. There was no way to fake the way he looked at her. He glanced back at Nik. Caroline had woken up and she was tracing her fingers along his chest, whispering something in his ear. Perhaps he had judged her too harshly. Elijah had walked in prepared to hate this band of misfits, even before he found out Katerina was one of them. Now he was seeing all the love they had for each other and how much they cared for his siblings. He had spent his life looking out for his brothers and sister, would it really be so bad to have some more people around who cared about them as well? He vowed to be nicer to them if Nik made it through this. At the same time, he swore to himself that if these people let Nik die, he would tear every last one of them to shreds.

* * *

Nik was walking down a white hallway. There were so many doors. He saw one swing open and a small child ran across to another room, slamming the door behind them.

He looked behind him. The hallway stretched out in both directions. How did he get here? He rubbed his arm where the bullet wound was, but there was nothing wrong with it. He pulled up the sleeve of the white t-shirt to look at his arm, but it was fine. There wasn't even a mark.

He looked down at himself. White shirt, white linen pants, bare feet walking along the white carpet. He didn't even own white pants. Where had they come from? He didn't know this place.

The little child was giggling behind the closed door. He opened it. Becca was jumping on a bed, but it wasn't the Becca he knew today. She was eight again.

"Nik, Nik, watch me jump!" She shouted.

He moved closer, smiling at her. She reached out her hand to him.

When he touched her he was jolted away from the room into another one. His kitchen, all those years ago. His mother was on fire.

"Nicky, please."

The first life he took. He didn't have a choice. She wanted him to end it.

His father's bloodied face. The taste of his blood as it splashed back at him. Pulling Becca out of the house and running.

The first time he met Emily Bennett.

"I know you've taken a life. I can see it in your eyes. No one can change that. I'm going to teach you how to do it well and how to make more money than you can imagine doing it."

The first job. The lurch in his stomach when the man begged and pleaded.

"Now." Emily commanded.

The shot rang out.

"Good work. Now the tedious part, disposal."

He helped her lift the body and when he touched it he was jolted to another scene.

The first time he saw his siblings in months, they were all still getting over the loss of their mother and the knowledge that their crazy father was on the run.

Kol had hated him back then.

"You're the reason I don't have parents! You did this!"

Rebecca begged him not to leave. Elijah just kept his distance.

Another moment. Holding baby Henrick and making faces to get him to laugh.

Another day. Finn promising to come back as he walked out the door. He never did.

His father's shaking hands, holding the paper that confirmed everything. "You're no son of mine. You have no father. No one would ever want you. All your mother sees when she looks at you is her own shame. You're an abomination."

The apartment the cries were coming from. The rotting body on the bathroom floor. Robbie hiding in a corner, shaking and half starved.

The look on Jimmy's face when he brought his son back to him.

Robbie and Caroline splashing around in the pool together, laughing as they all went down the water slide on that big tube. Joking with him. Pulling his hands to the next ride. Falling asleep together that night.

Caroline.

The first day he met her at the pool "I'm not interested."

Her rolling her eyes at him in the hall, shaking her head at that stupid line he used at the club. Her fighting him every step of the way.

The night she sat on the bathroom counter while he bandaged her knee.

Her running into his arms, bruises all over her face and neck. The way she held tighter to him when he promised to keep her safe.

Later that night, her hands under his shirt, pulling it off.

Sitting on the beach with her, smiling, laughing.

Her looking up at him right after he killed Mikael. Only fear left when she looked at him.

"I don't want to go with you."

"I hate you."

"You're a liar and a murderer."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

The gradual change in how she looked at him.

"Be careful."

"You're back."

"I don't hate you."

Robbie came along and she saw something else.

"You'd be a good father."

"He trusts you"

"He thinks you're a super hero."

The memories were all spinning around, melting together, one scene flashing into the next. At first they were childhood, family, the moments that made him who he was. But as they went on they were all her. She was in every one.

Mikael flashed back again. "No one cares about you anymore, boy. You have nothing. No one."

Walking into his apartment and finding the dog dead. His neck severed, a warning from Mikael.

A hushed phone call from Elijah, warning that he thought he saw Mikael. A more frantic one from Rebecca when Mikael found her walking home from school. The feeling of him closing in.

Mikael standing over Caroline, about to slit her throat.

Mikael standing next to his mother's burning body, that day again, the one that replayed on a constant loop in his mind.

"No one will ever love you."

His mother "Nicky, please."

"You did this. You killed her."

"No one will ever love you."

"Nicky Please"

"No one will ever love you."

Mikael faded away. It was just her now.

She was pacing around the room.

"I need to say something."

Back in the grass along the highway. She was always pacing around, fidgeting, always moving. She couldn't stand still.

"I want to be with you too."

He remembered it, but it was like he was back in the moment. He rushed towards her but everything started to fade. Before he could reach her he was alone again, in the all white hallway.

"I love you."

It was her voice. This final piece of that last memory. Mikael had been wrong. He found someone who cared about him. Someone loved him.

He felt tired and unsure of where to go. There were so many doors. Was this heaven or hell or something else entirely?

"Nik."

It was a soft voice. Her voice. She was saying something else but he couldn't make out the words. It sounded so far away. He took a few steps forward but it got quieter. He looked behind him. the hallway stretched on as far as he could see. This was the way he came from and he was unsure if it was wise to turn around.

"Nik."

Her voice again. He walked back in the direction he came from. He took a few more steps to be sure, but it was certain. Her voice was coming from that direction. He ran.

"Nik, I need you to wake up. You can't leave me. Not now..."

Every step pulled him closer to her. The hallway kept stretching out further in front of him, it seemed like it would never end. Some of the doors he passed shook and banged. He heard the voices of people he killed, people begging for their lives behind each of them. Mikael shouting at him. Elijah screaming about his terrible influence on their younger siblings. Kol yelling about missing their mother. Rebecca screaming for him from that dungeon she was locked in when she was taken. They kept reappearing behind the doors he ran past, trying to distract him, get him to turn around, but all he could focus on was the voice coming from the distance in front of him. He ran to her voice.


	22. Chapter 22

Meredith Fell double checked to make sure the room number was right. The suitcase had been a bitch to get through customs, She had to forge all kinds of documents to prove that she was allowed to carry all the odds and ends loaded in there. If the agents checking her bags had been more thorough, they would have probably realized that not all the medical vials contained quite what the labels said they did, but they never bothered to check the details when you looked official enough.

She knocked. Damon opened the door and helped her with the suitcase full of medical supplies.

"My best friend's girl. Stunning as always."

"Save it Damon, I've already agreed to help you. You don't need to grovel."

He led her into the room. She saw Nik on the floor, covered in blood stained blankets, the IV in his good arm leading to a blood bag that was taped up on a floor lamp, his bullet wound bandaged up. Caroline was asleep on the floor next to him, Rebecca passed out on a chair she had pulled close to him as well.

"Wow." She muttered. "And Elena?"

"Over here." Elena said, sitting up from a couch in the other room.

Elena walked over to Meredith and hugged her. Meredith held out Elena's arms and looked her over.

"You look good, considering what you've been through. I'll help with the cuts but they seem to be healing nicely. Did anyone give you antibiotics?"

"He did, actually." She said, motioning to Nik.

"Smart. I'm going to check him out and then I'll be back to you, ok? Are you eating? Do you want something to help you relax?"

"I'm fine, Mere, just go."

Meredith nodded and sat next to Nik. A red halo of dried blood crusted the floor tiles around him. He was unconscious, but breathing. A blonde girl was sleeping next to him, her hand protectively resting on his chest. Her clothes were stained with his blood and the tips of her hair were all matted from dragging through puddles of it. Meredith gently moved the girl's hand aside and listened to his heartbeat.

"Still a little slow, but not bad. Is that the last of the blood?"

Rebecca woke up and hesitantly walked over to the Doctor. "We have one more after that. Thats all."

Meredith recognized the voice.

"You're his sister? The one from the phone?"

"Yes."

Meredith smiled at her. "You did really well. Ever think about a career in medicine?"

Rebecca beamed. "After today, I'm seriously considering it."

Meredith peeled back the bandage. "This is going to need to be opened up again and drained. Fluid builds up as it heals, and you always need to be extra careful with possible infections this deep. I'll need your help with that in a few hours. The IV looks perfect. I'm going to add a bag of saline with some electrolytes and medicine in it once this blood bag finished. I brought some serious pain killers for him too, he'll need it."

Caroline opened her eyes to look at the two women chatting over her.

"Who are you?" She asked Meredith.

"That's Meredith, Ric's girl and badass doctor lady." Damon introduced them. "And Mere, this is Caroline, Stefan's best friend and possibly the girl with the absolute worst taste in men."

"Ric? That guy you're always drunk dialing and chatting on the phone with like a couple of schoolgirls?" Caroline asked.

"Hey. Ric and I are badass, ok? And if you ever want to party on his yacht I suggest you don't compare him to a schoolgirl." Damon protested.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I don't care about his yacht. I want to talk about Nik."

Meredith looked over the wound again. "I'll have to open it up again before I can say for sure, but it looks like the bleeding stopped, which is good. He isn't at risk of dying from loss of blood anymore, but there's always a risk of a clot, and the infection can kill him easily. He's got a much better chance than he did a few hours ago, but he's not safe yet."

Caroline nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "He hasn't woken up since we pulled the bullet out. I keep listening to his heartbeat to make sure he's still alive."

Meredith nodded. "You and his sister are doing everything you can for him. Him sleeping, that's a good thing. It's giving his body a chance to heal, and he hasn't had anything to numb the pain yet."

"You'll help him?" Caroline asked.

Meredith nodded, holding up a syringe and loading it with a strange liquid. She gave Damon a nod and got to work.

"Good, she already broke out the good stuff." Damon whispered to Caroline.

"What is she doing?" Caroline asked.

"You didn't think we'd be friends with a regular doctor, did you?"

"Do you have any friends who obey the law?" She hissed.

"Do you?" He challenged. He was right, of course, Caroline and him had all the same friends. "Anyway, she lost her license giving patients a little something extra. Helps the healing process, fantastic stuff really, but not exactly legal."

"So she's not a real doctor?"

"Someone ripped up a piece of paper. Big deal. She gets results, and she doesn't talk to cops."

"Do you trust her?"

"Right now, she's the best chance he's got." Damon said grimly.

Caroline just watched, waiting for his eyes to open.

* * *

They were all pacing around, waiting for Nik to wake up. Elijah and Rebecca were on the laptop, video chatting with their brother Kol. He kept grilling them for details about Nik and making them promise to call him the moment he woke.

Meredith and Elena were quietly talking in one of the bedrooms. She had warned Damon that Elena's injuries might not all be physical, that there could be some serious emotional damage done by the ordeal. Elena was handling it fine, but she was never one to make a big deal of her problems. She kept it buried.

Damon was on the phone with Ric. He was on his way, bringing the boat up in case they needed to get off the island and couldn't risk being seen in an airport. Damon was joking about the yacht party they were going to have, trying to keep things light.

"Three days? After all that money you put into it, that thing should be able to teleport here... She's fine, doing her doctor thing. Thanks again, Ric. Yeah, see you soon buddy. Bye."

He turned to Stefan. "Mr. I-think-I'm-Indiana-Jones and his I'm-compensating-for-something boat won't get here for another three days. I think when he get here we should all be on that boat and get the hell off this island. No airports and no going anywhere near the side of the island Mason was on. I'm not taking any chances. I'd like to get out of here sooner, but at least we'll be leaving in style."

"Do you think he'll be ok to move three days from now?" Stefan asked, motioning towards Nik.

"Right now, I'm just hoping he'll still be breathing three days from now. I don't want to know the kind of hell that will come down on us if his boss finds out he died doing us a favor." Damon replied.

"Meredith's here. She'll fix him."

"She's not sure if she can. She says if there's a clot, there won't be anything she can do here."

"Not even with the stuff?"

"She already gave him the stuff."

"So what now?" Stefan asked, glancing over at Nik.

"We wait. Once Ric arrives, we book it out of here. If he still needs a hospital by the time we get to another continent, we'll take him. But Mere says, with the stuff she gave him, in a few days he'll either be recovered enough to move around and function normally or..."

"Or what?

"Or he'll be dead."

Stefan looked at Caroline. She was asleep on the floor next to Nik, her hand over his. She wouldn't move from her spot there. He kept checking on Caroline, trying to get her to eat something or take a shower, but she wasn't leaving Nik's side. Over the last few hours he kept hearing her talk to him, as if he could hear her. It was awful to watch. She was so broken.

* * *

Elena got out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She dried off and looked at the faint marks all over her body. The memories rushed back at her, flooding her mind with images of those faces.

She was right here when he took her. He grabbed her from this bathroom. She had screamed but no one was there to hear it.

She saw his face in front of her again. She could see exactly what he looked like when she put a bullet in his brain.

The blood, the pain, the bruises on her wrist that remained from when he pulled her from this very room.

She didn't know she was crying so loud until Damon ran into the room and found her on the floor.

"Hey, it's ok, you're ok." He pulled her up and brought her back to the bedroom. He tucked her into the bed and pulled the sheets over her, sitting next to her.

"It kept coming back." She said.

"Meredith said that might happen."

"I felt like it was happening all over again."

He looked at her, nothing to say. What could anyone say to that? He just leaned down to pull her in his arms and hold her close.

"I killed someone, Damon."

"He kidnapped you, tortured you. As far as I'm concerned, it was self defense."

"But I still did it. I could have let you, but I wanted to do it myself."

"It's ok. No one can understand what you went through. No one here is going to judge you."

"Am I a bad person?" She whispered.

"No, Lena. You're a great person. You're my favorite person."

"I feel so confused, I'm so afraid of them even though they're dead, and I still feel terrible about what I did."

"It'll be ok, we'll get through this."

"Damon, you don't know what it was like, being taken like that. I thought I was going to die in there. Every time I close my eyes I'm back there. I don't know what to do. I keep seeing him."

He stoked her hair and thought for a minute. Was it Stefan who told him, or was it Elijah who mentioned it? He couldn't remember the whole story but he knew it would give her some comfort to talk to someone who had gone through something similar.

"You're right, I don't know what it's like. But someone else here does. Just give

me a minute ok?" He hesitantly got up and walked out of the room.

Rebecca was sitting at the kitchen table with Stefan, never taking her eyes of Nik, still passed out on the floor.

Damon sat down next to her.

"I need you to talk to her." He said.

"Me? Why?" Rebecca asked.

"I heard about uh... What happened a few years ago... You were in Budapest with your brother Kol."

"Oh. That." She replied.

"Elena's having a lot of trouble dealing with it. I'll never be able to help her work through it as much as someone who's been through it."

Rebecca got up. "Of course. I'll talk to her." She poked through the cabinets for a bottle of wine and a few glasses. Stefan raised an eyebrow at her. "Trust me" she said. "We're going to need it for this conversation."

* * *

Nik was running down the white hallway. Her voice kept getting clearer, closer to him. It was getting brighter. The doors that shook, the screaming noises of every evil deed he's ever done were all pulling away, further out to the sides. He stumbled a bit as the ground below him shifted.

Caroline was holding his hand. She watched Meredith come over, check the IV, peak at his wound, and nod at her. Nothing had changed much, he was healing slowly, but he was stable.

She smiled down at him.

"Nik. You have to wake up, you have to get better. You promised me. And you made me promise to go on that stupid date. You can't go, There hasn't been any time. I need more time with you. Please wake up."

The hallway wasn't a hallway anymore. It was a consuming, blinding light. He couldn't see anything. The light was everywhere. He couldn't tell which way he was going. All he could do was run to her voice. He felt the world turn on it's side. He wasn't running anymore, he was flat on his back. The light faded into darkness and he felt something warm holding on to his hand. There was a familiar sweet smell in the air. He was certain he was dead, but at least he was able to take some reminders of her with him. He let himself be enveloped in that familiar smell, the familiar feeling of the way she held his hand, the sound of her voice. He could see flashes of light, shapes moving above his closed eyelids. He briefly wondered if this was death itself, or just another dream. Are your eyes ever closed in your own dreams? Can you open them in a dream? Would it be an endless cycle of white hallways and dark rooms?

His eyes opened. She was there, looking back at him.

"Nik?" She gasped, hardly believing that he was opening his eyes again. They had been closed for so long.

"Caroline?" He asked, looking confused. His voice was scratchy and weak. "Am I still dreaming?"

"You're awake! Nik, you scared me! I thought you'd never wake up." She was crying again, but there was a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, don't cry." He tried to reach up towards her, but he felt a massive pain in his arm and a tug on the other one where the IV was. "Ow. Oh shit, that hurts. I guess I really am awake."

She curled against him and tried to be gentle when she wrapped her arms around him, avoiding his injured arm. He carefully rested his good arm on her back.

"I thought I lost you. You were so cold and pale. You could have died."

"I love you." he said.

"What?"

"I should have said it before, when you did. I love you."

She kissed his cheek "I love you. You know I do."'

He nudged closer and kissed her gently on the lips. She kissed back fervently, feeling happiness rush through her. Moments ago she was unsure if he would ever wake again, but here he was. She had him back.

"I love you." he said again, this time focusing on her eyes. He was deadly serious. When he felt the life slipping out of him in the back of that car, it was the one thing he had wished he had done differently. He needed to makes sure she knew it now that he had the chance. If he fell back into darkness or bright light again, at least she knew.

She was crying and smiling at the same time. It was all so much. "I love you too."

"Even with this chunk missing from my arm? I'l probably have a nasty scar forever."

"I like guys with scars." She eased herself up to look around the room. Elijah and Damon were sleeping on the couches. She could see Katherine, Meredith and Stefan sitting on the balcony. The door was closed, so they hadn't heard Nik wake up.

"He's awake!" She called out.

Elijah snapped up. Damon woke up looking confused but he quickly realized what Caroline was talking about. He banged on the door to the balcony. "He's awake!" He shouted.

"Awake?" Stefan asked.

"Awake!" Damon shouted back.

They were scrambling out of their seats to get inside.

* * *

Rebecca poured a refill in both of their glasses. Elena smiled and clinked glasses with her.

"To surviving." Rebecca said.

"Surviving" Elena smiled.

"You'll come to me if you need to talk about it again, right?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah. Thanks. It really helped to talk to someone who's been there."

"It'll get better." Rebecca said. "Until then, you just have to fight through it. And I'll be here for anything you need."

"Thanks." Elena said. "I'm sorry. Your brother... it's all because of me."

"No. He chose to go in there. Mason was the one to cause this. None of this is your fault."

"If he doesn't wake up, I'll always feel like I did this."

"He has to wake up." Rebecca said. "He just can't... I've already lost two brothers."

"Two?"

"My brother Henrick died when he was a baby. I was only eight, so I don't remember him that much. Finn was my oldest brother. He left a little before that. I don't know where he is or if he's even alive. He's just gone. He didn't want to be part of our family anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"Our parents are gone too. It's just the four of us, Me, Nik, Elijah and Kol. They're all that's left. I can't lose him."

"Meredith is a great doctor. And you did an amazing job with him too."

"I've always worried that his job would catch up to him like this... I'm still not ready for it."

Elena nodded. "Sometimes I think it's a miracle that my sister hasn't gotten herself killed, doing what she does."

"Just because I like you doesn't mean I'll be nice to her."

Elena laughed. "You don't have to. Believe me, I get it."

"It's funny how you two are twins yet-" Rebecca stopped to listen. "Whats all that yelling out there?"

Damon burst into the room. "He woke up!"

Rebecca squealed and barreled out of the room.

* * *

Meredith had finally gotten everyone to back away. Even Elijah agreed to finally put the laptop down, ignoring Kol's protests from the other end. Now Caroline was sitting at his side holding his hand while Meredith was on the other side, opening up the bandage.

"Alright, looks ok, but I'm still going to have to go in."

Nik made a face.

"I know, it'll suck, but I need to re-clean the wound, reduce your chances of infection and clots, and make sure there's no contaminants left in there."

She rummaged through her bag and opened up a smaller container holding a large syringe and a bottle of a clear liquid.

"What the bloody hell are you doing with that?"

"Numbing the area. Unless you'd prefer to feel everything?"

"No.. uh.. go ahead. With the needle." He said, eyeing it warily.

He winced a bit at the first shot but hardly felt the second one. Meredith waited a few minutes for it to sink in, than began taking out the stitches.

She was delicately scraping something away from the wound, dabbing bits of sterile cloth at it, dripping tiny bits of liquid from a vial. He and Caroline stayed perfectly still, waiting for the news.

"Alright, you're looking not so bad. It hit a big artery, that's why you lost so much blood, but your sister managed to pinch it shut when she sewed you up, and it's already starting to heal. It ripped through a lot of muscle, but that'll recover as well. You don't have any signs of infection yet, but I want to keep an IV in you for another day before switching to just pills."

"Is he going to be ok?" Caroline asked.

Meredith smiled. "I can't promise anything, but right now it seems like a full recovery is very likely. He'll be exhausted for a while, need plenty of rest, and continuing to take antibiotics is very important."

Caroline nodded seriously.

Meredith was re-stitching his wound. "Don't pick at this." She warned him.

"What?" he asked.

"You look like a stitch-picker. No scratching or scrubbing at it either, if it itches, too bad. And don't try to lift anything with that arm for a while. You can move it a little now, but don't go crazy. You can walk around, just don't do anything too strenuous."

"Yes, Doctor." He muttered.

She looked him over again. He was still in the nasty bloody rags from a few days ago, laying on the kitchen floor with his IV bag taped to a lamp.

Meredith gently pulled the bag off the lamp and handed to Caroline. She was rummaged through her bag and pulled out a clip.

"Here, use this to hold it above his head. He needs to wash up and get into a real bed." She called Elijah over to help them pull Nik up and get him into one of the bathrooms with a tub. Nik had trouble standing at first, but once he gained his balance he could walk fine. Caroline stayed close to him just in case.

"You got it from here?" Meredith asked Caroline, checking the IV again.

"Yup. I'll call if I need any help."

"You." Meredith pointed at Nik. "No getting up fast or sudden movements. And don't get those stitches wet."

He nodded and Meredith closed the door behind her.

"Alone at last." He joked.

Caroline smiled and checked the water temperature. She rummaged through the bottles and poured one under the faucet.

"Tell me you're not putting bubbles in there."

"They're fun." She smiled.

"I'm not a child, Caroline."

"Do you have any idea how many times I've walked in on Damon in a bubble bath?"

"I'd think you'd learn to knock after the first time." He smiled.

"Half the time it was in my own bathroom! I swear the guy spends half his day jumping in different showers and tubs."

"Alright, I don't need a picture." He grumbled. He tried to get his pants off but it was proving difficult with one hand attached to an IV and the other arm half numb and bandaged up.

"I got it." Caroline moved over and helped him undress then steadied him so he could step into the tub.

"I don't think this is quite what you had in mind when you kept trying to take my clothes off yesterday." He smiled.

"Three days ago." She said. "You were out for close to three days."

"It only felt like a few minutes." He eased himself into the tub.

She sat on the edge of the bathtub and swirled her hand around in the water. "You looked dead when they brought you in here. Your skin was so pale and cold. There was so much blood, and it just kept coming out."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"I thought you were gone."

"You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Nik! Be serious!"

"I am serious. Now get over here and kiss me."

She hesitantly leaned towards the tub a little more. "Nik, If I lean over any more I'm going to fall in."

"I'm half crippled, come a little closer." he said innocently.

She hesitated, looking down at the bubbles, then back at his bandaged arm.

"I can't reach. My arm." He pouted, playing into her sympathies.

She carefully got a little closer and his good arm gripped on to pull her to him.

"Nik! Don't!"

**Splash**

Caroline was in. The water was up to her stomach, but the splash from falling in had gotten her soaked from head to toe. She wiped the bubbles off her face.

"If you weren't seriously injured right now..."

"You'd what?" he smiled. "Give it your best shot."

She splashed him and smiled.

He smiled back and let his eyes travel over her drenched body.

"You know, you really should get out of those wet clothes" he suggested, looking her up and down, not wanting to miss any detail of how her soaked shirt clung to her.

"Even now, you're pulling stunts like this? I thought you'd be all tired and weak."

"I feel great. I don't know what that stuff was that she gave me, but it's like... I feel really good."

"She must have loaded you up with morphine."

"No, it's something else. It's like I can feel it healing. Anyway, I didn't know if I was going to survive it. But I did, and the first thing I saw when I woke up was you. How could I not be happy right now?"

She waded closer to him and held him tight. He hugged her back with his good arm while his injured one rested on the edge of the tub. When she broke away he trailed his fingers across her collar bone and shoulders. He looked at her face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. He traced his thumb across her eyelids, trying to make what made her cry go away. He felt a tear slip from her closed eyes as he touched her face.

"Don't cry. Everything's ok now."

"I can't turn it off. I still can't believe you're ok."

"It's not a big deal. Just my arm. My left arm even. You don't need to..."

"Not a big deal? You almost died! I don't think I've cried so much in my whole life as I have these past few days. You didn't stand a chance. If is wasn't for Rebecca being able to pinch the blood vessel shut right away, or Stefan and Elijah stealing blood for you.. If Meredith didn't pick up the phone right when she did... Any one little detail and you could have been gone forever."

"Rebecca operated on me?"

"I helped a bit, but yeah. She scraped the bullet and fragments out, held your arm so I could sew it shut, she got your IV in, she was amazing."

"You had to sew me up again?"

"It was a lot bloodier this time."

"And the blood bags? Elijah really robbed a blood bank?"

"He and Stefan did it together. They snuck in and got the stuff without causing a scene, thankfully. The last thing we need is another run in with the law."

"Wow."

"You seems surprised."

"I just never would have imagined my siblings would do so much for me. And Stefan. He doesn't even know me, to risk so much..."

"They're your family, and they really love you. You're lucky to have them."

"You don't think your family would do the same?"

"My actual family, like my parents? No way. We don't speak. But my new family, Damon, Stefan and Elena? Yeah, I think they would."

"There's blood in your hair." He said absently, and splashed a bit of water to rinse it out.

"Your blood." she said. She pulled off the wet clothes she had fallen in the tub wearing. He noticed dried blood all over them. She hadn't showered or changed since he came in. He had felt her presence when he was out, but it wasn't a hallucination. She was really there.

"You were there the while time." He said.

"They couldn't tear me away."

"I thought I heard you. I was in some kind of dream. I kept hearing your voice."

"You did?" She said. "I kept talking to you. I hoped you could hear, even though they all said you were passed out and it didn't make a difference."

He cupped the sides of her face with his hands. "You make all the difference. I think your voice is what woke me up. I heard it in the distance and kept trying to get closer. If you weren't there... I don't know if I would have fought so hard to get back. Everything is different because of you."


	23. Chapter 23

Meredith slowly raised Nik's elbow so it was out to his side, parallel to his shoulder, then let it back down. He winced a bit but didn't say anything.

"Ok good, now stretch your arm forward so your hand is directly in front of your shoulder."

He did it slowly, this one didn't feel as uncomfortable as the first one.

"Are you watching?" She asked Caroline, who was sitting on the kitchen counter next to them.

"Got it." Caroline replied.

"Three times a day, do ten of each until his arm feels normal." Meredith reminded her. "Now for the fun part."

Nik groaned "Do we have to?"

"You weren't so whiny yesterday." Meredith snipped.

"Yesterday I didn't know what I was in for. I thought it would be like the day before, with the needle full of drugs preventing any pain."

"It's not good to numb it every day, and it needed to be cleaned on a daily basis. Caroline, can you get his sister in here? I want her to see this also."

Rebecca walked in and watched with Caroline as Meredith explained how to properly clean and care for a wound, going over the steps slowly and making them repeat back what they had to do. Rebecca was taking notes with each step. Caroline kept asking if there was anything they could do to make it hurt less but Meredith insisted that this was the best way.

Nik had looked after his own wounds before, but he was picking up some tricks from Meredith. She also had this strange stuff she dabbed on at the end that was making him heal much faster than he should have. He needed to get the name of whatever that stuff was. She already promised to give him a few bottles.

"So after you disinfect, the last step is..." Meredith quizzed them.

"This stuff." Rebecca held up a bottle. "Let me do it." She pulled out the dropper and measured out the precise amount he would need.

Meredith's phone rang, she left the room to pick it up and let Rebecca and Caroline take over bandaging him up.

Damon wandered in to refill his coffee. "Hello Dr. Barbie one and two. Remind me to get injured more often." He wiggled his brows.

Rebecca sneered at him "I obviously picked the more tactful Salvatore brother."

"But not the more handsome." Damon protested.

"I disagree." Rebecca sniffed.

Damon looked at Nik. "How you feeling, man?"

"Much better. I can't do to much with the arm, but it'll heal soon enough and everything else works just fine."

"Does it? Damon smiled at Caroline.

She glared daggers at him. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Ah yes, coffee for the lady." He smiled and poured another cup to bring to Elena. "And by the way, Alaric will be here tomorrow afternoon, so do whatever packing you need to do, because we're all getting the fuck out of Dodge the second he docks."

"This is our last night on the island?" Nik asked.

"Yeah. We're getting out of here. Ric's taking us to Trinidad, from there we can all go our separate ways or whatever. Elijah mentioned wanting to get back to work. Ric and Mere were on their way to Brazil for something involving some historical artifacts. I know that Stefan and I have to get some work done in Bogota before we make our way back to the States, obviously Elena and Rebecca will join. Katherine might for a while, she's kind of a wild card. Care, I'd love for you to come too, but I have a feeling you and Nik made other plans?"

"You're not bringing my sister to Colombia!"

"Back off, Nik" Rebecca growled.

"Actually, Damon, Nik and I haven't really talked about our plans yet. Things have been kind of crazy."

Damon smirked "Looks like I just opened a can of worms. I'll just be going back to my room now."

He slipped away.

"Colombia, Rebecca? Were you not going to tell me?"

"Nik, relax. It'll be fine."

"Where have I heard that before?" he sighed.

"I'm going to start packing." Rebecca said, taking her opportunity to get out of the room.

Caroline looked at Nik. "Should we talk about what's going to happen? Once we get off that boat, where will that leave us?"

"We don't have to talk about this now. I want to be wherever you are. We can work out the details later. Right now I have to get a few things ready."

"Where are you going?" She asked as he looked around for his shoes and phone.

"Didn't you hear the man? This is our last night on the island, and I believe you promised me you'd go on a date with me."

"Are you sure you're up to it? I mean ... your arm. We can just stay here."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine. The arm is fine, I just have to use the other one when I'm sweeping you off your feet."

"Nik."

He found his shoes and pulled them on before rushing back over to her. He wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. She kissed him back until she felt her knees go week. When she gently pulled away he smiled mischievously at her.

"What are you up to?" She asked.

"I have some things to prepare."

"What things?"

"Be ready at seven!"

"What should I wear?" She asked as he was running out the door.

"I'll take care of it." He shouted back and he was gone.

* * *

Caroline knocked gently on Damon and Elena's door.

"Come in!" called a female voice.

She slowly opened the door to find Elena sitting on the bed with a coffee mug in hand, flipping through the channels on the TV.

"He's in the shower." Elena said, answering Caroline's question before she asked.

"God, does he live in there?"

"It sure seems that way." Elena smiled.

"Since its our last full day here, I was thinking we could pick up where we left off before everything got so crazy and go to the pool?"

"We do have a lot to talk about." Elena said.

"A lot to drink about." Caroline smiled.

Elena's smile faded quickly. "Do you think people will stare? With all these cuts and bruises?"

"Lena, people will only be staring because you're smoking hot. And besides, once you get a tan those bruises will hardly be noticeable."

* * *

Elijah slept later than he had in years. He always had a reason to wake up early, but today there was nothing to do but wait. He could hear faint voices of people moving around the suite, talking, pots and pans clanging in the kitchen.

The smell of bacon filled the air. It was so her. She would eat plates of it straight for breakfast while he sipped his tea and watched. She made him pancakes with chunks of bacon mixed in and he wrinkled his nose at them, refusing to eat something so disgusting. Eventually he broke down and tried them, after all her pouting, and begrudgingly admitted that they were good. When she overslept the next day she caught him trying to make them, failing miserably.

His door creaked a bit. Before he opened his eyes he could feel the mattress shift as someone sat at the foot of his bed.

"Kat. Get out."

"Be nice Eli. I made you your favorite breakfast."

"hmmft."

"Bacon pancakes. I brought tea too. One of the shops here has your brand."

He begrudgingly sat up. "Kat. What are you doing?"

"Can't I make my favorite guy breakfast?"

"Your favorite guy is whoever leaves their credit card near you." He mumbled. He looked down at the stack of pancakes she put in front of him. She had spelled out 'I'm Sorry' in strips of bacon.

"Why are you doing this?" He mumbled.

"Because I'm sorry. Not that I got caught. That I lied to you and hurt you. I promise you Eli. I won't ever do it again."

"I'm not going to give you the chance." He said.

She sighed and took a bite of his pancakes.

"Hey!" He protested.

"You're such a brat." She grumbled.

He smiled and grabbed the fork from her so he could take a bite. He had tried to replicate her pancakes a few times in the years since her, but he never came close.

"God, that's good." He said as he swallowed his first bite. "What's your secret?"

"Made with love." She joked.

"Made with cyanide is more likely."

"If I wanted to poison you I would have married you first. Widow money is the best money."

"See, I know you're joking, but it seems like you've done it before."

"There's no proof." Katherine shrugged.

He teased her some more and she let him. It was a nice change of pace, him joking about everything. She hadn't thought she'd ever see him smile again. It was a secret, his smile. He was always composed, reserved, straight faced around most people. Always in a suit. It was only when they were alone that he loosened his tie and rolled his sleeves up. No one else ever saw him so relaxed as when he came home to her.

Now she was sitting on his bed and he was wearing an old college t-shirt. She remembered wearing the same one a few times. From the look in his eyes when he caught her glance at it, he remembered too.

"You should have seen your face" He laughed. "When you saw me on the other side of the door."

"It's not funny!" she protested, but she was smiling.

They sat there on his bed, passing the fork back and forth until they finished all the food. He kept stealing glances at her when she looked away, but he could tell by the way the edges of her lips moved up ever so slightly that she caught him watching her. When they were finished with the food she got up and took the tray with her. She hesitantly moved closer to him and he didn't flinch away. She smoothed his hair and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm glad your brother got better, Eli."

He watched her walk away and fell back in bed. Suddenly he was having a hard time remembering why giving her another chance was such a bad idea.

* * *

Caroline looked around for Elena, and spotted her on one of the lounge chairs by the low end. She handed her friend one of the slushy drinks and took a sip from the other one.

"I remember sitting in these exact chairs not too long ago."

"It's been a month." Elena mused. "But everything is so different now."

"I can't believe that's all it's been."

"One month ago, I came back over here from talking on the phone and some hot guy is totally hitting on you, and you're chewing him out and stomping away."

"To be fair, he wasn't just hitting on me, he was casing a job. And I did have a boyfriend at the time."

"He was hitting on you." Elena laughed. "You should have seen the look on his face when you blew him off."

"And now he's introducing me to his brother as his girlfriend."

"Well that was quick."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird."

"What changed your mind? The last time I talked to you, he was off killing people and you were saying you didn't like him at all, that you wrote him off after you found out who he really was."

"I guess I found a few more layers. There was this kid."

"Oh no, he has a kid?"

"No, not his. A guy he works with has this kid. And Nik is really close to him. I don't know, just seeing that, it changed how I saw him."

"I guess I can't be too hard on the guy. He did save my life." Elena sighed.

Caroline just smiled.

"Does he make you happy?" Elena asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. He really does."

"You know I have to ask the dirty questions too."

"Oh god." Caroline giggled.

"Is it the same, like now that he's Nik the contract killer, as opposed to Nik the sweet paramedic."

"Is what the same?"

"You know."

"Oh. Well, we haven't yet."

"What? You mean he's running around calling you his girlfriend and saving lives for you and you haven't even slept together yet?"

"Not since he was Nik the paramedic. Believe me, it's killing me. We came close a few times... I tried to the other night, but he got all weird about it, wanting to do things right or whatever."

"I was chained up in a basement the other night! Some friend you are."

"I was really worried about you! I just... I get so distracted around him."

Elena laughed "Yeah, I know the feeling."

"Tell me about it. I'm still trying to purge the sound of the welcome home Damon gave you out of my brain."

"Oh god, you heard that?"

"Katherine looked like she was going to throw up. It was pretty funny."

Elena buried her face in a towel. "I'm so embarrassed."

"Hey, you were kidnapped and nearly killed, I think you're entitled to some mind blowing welcome back sex."

"Well now it's your turn. Unless you think the returning hero is still holding out on you?"

Caroline laughed. "No, I'm pretty sure something is going to happen tonight. He's got this whole crazy secret date thing going, he won't tell me what he's up to. But there's no way I'm letting the night end without a little action."

"If the boys could hear us now. We're probably worse then them, talking about this kind of stuff." Elena smiled.

"You have no idea how nice it is to have someone to talk about this stuff with. It's not like I can tell Stefan how all I can think about is pouncing on Nik."

Elena laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he'd want to gouge his eyes out at just the thought of you all over some guy. You're like their sister."

"He's one to talk. I've gotten more than an eyeful of him and Rebecca all over each other."

"Bleh!" Elena made a face. "I do not need that image in my brain."

"Tell me about it." Caroline muttered.

"I'm going to miss you." Elena said quietly.

"Miss me?"

"I know you won't be coming with us to Bogota. You're going to go with him."

Caroline nodded. "I do want to go with him. I just don't know where that is. And it scares me, because this is how things started with Tyler. I left everything behind. I lost my family. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose us, Care." Elena smiled. "This isn't Tyler and we're not going to disown you for being with Nik. Besides, Damon and Stefan are always moving around for work, and so is Nik, chances are we'll end up near each other again.

"Chances are..." Caroline said sadly. "I don't want to just hope I'll see you again."

"I've been talking to Damon about maybe cutting back a bit. He's saved so much from the past few years. We don't need to be working as much as we do. I want somewhere to make a home."

Caroline nodded. "Nik said he won't work as often as he used to either. And he does a lot of research from home when he can. But when he's on location for a job, he wants me somewhere else, just to be safe."

"See? Elena smiled "You'll come and stay with me whenever he's away on a job. I'll have a house somewhere. Stefan's already buying property in New York, but Damon wants to look at places in their hometown. He said this distant relative used to own a boarding house there and it would be perfect with some fixing up. If we're working, you'll travel with me and we'll do sightseeing and day drinking just like old times, and if we're not on a job, you can stay at my new home and we'll bake cookies or whatever people with normal lives do."

Caroline smiled. "It sounds perfect."

"You can have both. Us and Nik." Elena reminded her. "Don't forget about me."

Caroline hugged her friend. "I could never. You're more than my best friend. You're my sister."

Elena hugged back.

* * *

Nik held his phone up and snapped a picture, then tucked it back against his ear.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"The first one." Bonnie replied. "And the sparkly shoes."

"Really?" He asked.

"Hey. You called for advice. I'm giving it."

"Fine." He grumbled and gathered the selected items to pay for them. "Did you look up the thing I asked you about?"

"Yeah, I'm on it. I'll text you the address. I've already contacted the guy with the keys, he'll meet you this afternoon by the docks. What about... sleeping arrangements?"

"I've got that taken care of already." He said.

Bonnie laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were nervous."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh I know, but this is the first I've ever seen you like this. Let me revel in it a little."

"If you met her, you'd understand."

"You can introduce me when you're back to work." Bonnie said. "Have fun on the rest of your vacation, and good luck tonight."

Nik walked out of the shops and headed over to the other side of the island to make the rest of his preparations.

* * *

Elena and Caroline made a detour on their way back from the pool to the room. Elena had insisted Caroline go into the shops to find some mind blowing underwear.

"Is this supposed to be easy to take on and off?" Caroline called out from the dressing room, trying to figure out all the straps and hooks on the stockings and garter belts Elena kept passing her though the curtains.

"NO!" Elena shouted, and tossed another lace bra into the room.

"Well If I can't figure out how to get this on, how is he going to get it off?"

"The frustration makes it more fun, trust me."

"I'll trust you when I figure out where this strap goes."

Elena huffed into the dressing room and impatiently hooked everything into place.

"See?"

"Oh." Caroline responded. "I look..."

"Hot." Elena insisted. "We're getting it."

They reached the suite giggling and making jokes as Elena came up with different possible scenarios for where the mystery date could be taking place. When they got back to the suite there was a large box with a white ribbon tied around it sitting on the table in the front room.

Elena looked at the card sitting on top of it. "For you." she pointed, smiling.

Caroline traced her fingers along the card.

_** Something to wear. Be ready at seven. -Nik**_

She opened the box and pulled back the tissue paper to reveal a beautiful pale blue dress. She held it up in front of her. It had a sweetheart neckline and fell to just below her knees, cut so it would probably billow out in circles if she spun around wearing it. There were trails of silver jewels that swirled down the silky fabric.

"Wow." Caroline breathed.

Elena pointed to the two smaller boxes. "What's in those?"

Caroline opened the bigger of the two. That bastard must has snooped through all her things to find out her dress and shoe size. They were the most impossibly gorgeous pair of heels, all silver sparkles and shine. She felt herself shaking her head at him, as if he could see her. She didn't want him going crazy spending money on her. That wasn't what this was about.

"They're beautiful." Elena said, looking at the shoes. "But that's kind of weird." She pointed to the ankle straps.

Caroline hadn't noticed it at first, but now it was all she could see. Blue cotton fabric. There was a tiny strip of soft blue cotton tied to each shoe in a little bow on the

ankle straps. She held up her wrist to confirm it, event hough she already knew. The braided bracelet that she had never taken off matched perfectly.

"What's that about?" Elena asked.

"Nik." She smiled, remembering that day. "Just something he did, the first time around. Before I figured it all out."

Caroline picked up the smallest box. She already knew what was in it.

The bracelet he had tried to give her before was shimmering back at her, resting on top of a folded piece of paper. She hesitantly picked up the bracelet, watching all those diamonds sparkle in the light. She unfolded the paper in her hand and read the note he had left for her.

_**In case you need reminding, it was always real for me. The evening I tried to give you this bracelet, you surprised me. I learned from you that night that actions meant more to you than money when you let me put the bracelet around your wrist that I had made out of an old t shirt instead of this one.**_

_** You don't have to wear this tonight, or ever. Just know that it's yours. Yours without expecting anything in exchange. Just the same as that ratty cotton braid you never took off. **_

_** Even when you were looking at me with hate, telling me you couldn't wait to be rid of me, you never took it off. I let myself believe that it meant that there was still a chance for me to acquit myself. If there is any doubt in your mind about giving me a chance, allow me to use tonight to show you the life you can have with me. **_

_** -Nik**_

Caroline's hands shook as she read over the paper a second and third time. She set it down on the box and wrapped her hand around her other wrist, holding on to the cotton braid that was still there.

Elena leaned on her shoulder to read the note.

"Holy shit, Care? Who is this guy?"

"I know. He's crazy, right?"

Elena smiled. "I'll take that kind of crazy any day."

Damon walked in the door and saw the girls going thought the presents.

"What's all this?" he asked.

Elena held up the diamond bracelet. "Look what Caroline's boyfriend got her. Time to step your game up, Salvatore."

"Oh, challenge accepted, Gilbert." He smiled, throwing her over his shoulder and marching back to his bedroom. "Time to buy you something shiny."

"The front door is that way, Damon." Elena laughed.

"Oh, haven't you heard of this thing called online shopping? The best part is you can do it naked."

Elena threw the bracelet back to Caroline. "Good luck on your date tonight!" She

shouted.

Caroline looked down at the bracelet, turned it over in her hands a few times, and decided to put it on.


	24. Chapter 24

He showed up back at the suite five minutes early. Becca and Stefan were laughing in the kitchen, cooking something together.

"Looking good, Mikaelson!" Stefan shouted over his shoulder.

Nik was glad that Stefan had finally warmed up to him.

"Thanks, mate. What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Becca asked, dangling a piece of raw chicken in the air.

"Well, it's not a textbook or a shopping bag, so I don't really understand."

"I know how to cook, Nik!"

Stefan stood behind her and shook his head, mouthing the word 'no.'

Nik smirked.

Becca turned around to Stefan. "I saw that, you arse!"

She sighed. "Fine, Nik. Stefan is teaching me. Where are you off to dressed in a suit?"

"I have a date."

"Oh, I've got this." Stefan smiled, changing his posture and trying to do his best stern father impersonation. "No funny stuff, and have her home by curfew. I know the prom ends at ten p.m. sharp."

"And I completely forgot my corsage!" Nik joked back, playing along.

"Have you been drinking son? Let me smell your breath!"

"No sir! I wo-" Nik froze in the middle of their little game and stared down the hall. His face went from laughing to serious, and he was transfixed by the figure that just stepped into the hall.

"Hey." Caroline smiled at him. She was wearing the blue dress, the sparkly heels, even the bracelet. She had both stacked on the same wrist.

"Good evening." He greeted her, tipping his head down slightly. "You look lovely."

Stefan raised an eyebrow and exchanged a knowing look with Becca.

"Oh, well, you picked it out, so..."

"Not the dress. _You_ look very beautiful."

She felt a blush burning through her cheeks and she could swear she could see Stefan and Becca making goofy faces at each other.

"Uh, thank you. You look nice too. I've never seen you dressed up before."

"Neither have I, and I've know him my whole life!" Becca interjected.

"Becca, is that supposed to be on fire?" Nik calmly asked.

She whipped her head around and scurried back over to the stove. Stefan followed her, grabbing a glass of wine to put out the fire, only making it worse when the alcohol fed the flames.

"Shall we get out of here before the burn the place down?" Nik held his hand out to Caroline. She smiled and laced her fingers though his.

* * *

The restaurant was on a pier that jutted out over the beach. There were only a few tables along the back near the glass panels that looked out at the crashing waves. The other patrons all looked impossibly wealthy and much older. She had been worried that they would be overdressed in their fancy clothes, but they seemed appropriate for this kind of place.

She had never seen a restaurant that had so few tables. It confused her and made her wonder how much the whole ordeal would cost. As the hostess led them though to one of the tables at the windows Caroline kept her hands close to her sides, afraid of breaking or bumping into anything.

When they got to the table, Nik hurried over to pull out her chair for her and she got confused and ended up almost tripping over her own feet. He looked nervous too. It created a weird awkward tension between them. He wasn't really one for dating, and she never went out with guys who opened car doors or pulled out chairs. They were both fidgeting a bit, unsure of how to go about this kind of date.

Caroline looked down at the table and felt a flood of panic. There were so many different utensils. She had four different glasses in front of her. How was she supposed to know which was which? The hostess placed a menu in front of each of them. There weren't any prices listed. Oh crap. That meant it was super expensive. She tried to read through the list, but half the words were unfamiliar. She didn't know what any of these dishes were.

"I um... I just have to go to the rest room." She shot up and scurried away.

Once she was past the corner into the fancy little sitting room inside the restroom, she called Elena. Maybe she would know. No answer, of course. She tried to think of who else to call. Who would have been to a place like this?

* * *

Elijah was sitting on the back porch drinking a glass of wine and looking out at the resort. He heard the sliding door open behind him. Katherine brought out the rest of the bottle, pouring a glass for herself and setting in on the table.

"It's not going to work, Kat."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can't keep showing up in front of me, expecting me to just fall into your traps again."

"I know." She said quietly.

"So why are you here?"

"The boat's coming tomorrow. A few days before it docks again. That's probably the last I'll see of you."

"You don't honestly think I'm going to fall for that?"

"No. Just let me have this, ok? Talk to me a little. This morning reminded me how much I missed you."

He sighed and refilled his glass. "Kat. I'm a grump. I'm just some guy who lets his job rule his life and is impossibly cold to most people. When we were together you were always lighting up the room and catching the attention of the whole crowd and I would just stand by and watch you work your magic. No one even knew I was there. You went after me because I was lonely and rich. There's nothing else. There's nothing special about me to miss."

"Is that really how you see yourself?" She asked. "I know lonely and rich. It's kind of my specialty. You're so much more. And you're not the cold one. I am. I only ever look out for myself. You practically raised your siblings. You're the most noble person I've ever known. My greatest regret will always be hurting you."

"Kat, please don't say that. I can't go through this again."

"Eli..." She said quietly.

He looked off into the distance for a moment, but was interrupted when his phone beeped. A string of frantic text messages from Nik.

**What is this food?**

**I'm sending you a picture of the menu.**

**What do I do?**

**Tell me what these words mean I don't know what to order.**

**Which fork do I use?**

**Elijah! Answer me! She's coming back any minute!**

**Am i supposed to put this napkin on my lap?**

**I think they're bringing bread. Is it ok to eat the bread with my hands?**

**Quick! Name a wine I can order that makes it seem like I know about wine.**

Elijah smiled at his phone. Katherine tilted her head and he showed her. She laughed and put her hands over her heart.

"Oh that poor thing!" She laughed, and leaned closer to Elijah to look at the picture of the menu. "Tell him to order that one, and the one below it for her if she's not sure what to get. And the forks, just start with the out-"

She was cut off when her phone rang.

"Caroline?" She answered, and looked at Elijah, who had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Ok, calm down. I'm sure it's fine. No, he's able to pay for it. Caroline. He knows how much it costs, don't worry. Ok, just start with the fork or knife on the outside and you go towards the inside with each course."

She moved her chair right up against Elijah's and whispered to him to help him answer his brother's questions between the spurts of Caroline's meltdown.

Katherine turned back to the phone. "Ok. You're going to go back in there and let him pick something for you to order. I'm sure he'll suggest something great. Don't bring up money and make it awkward. Just let him deal with it. Now when you go back to the table, if he stands up, you can kiss him. Cheek or lips is fine. When you sit, if he puts his hand on the table it means he wants to hold your hand, so put yours on the table where he can reach it."

Katherine tucked the phone under her chin as Caroline rattled off more worries, and she looked down at Elijah's phone.

"Tell him to make sure he stands up when she gets back. And tell him to put his hand on the table, if she puts hers on the table too it means she wants to hold his hand." She whispered to Elijah and he texted her words to Nik quickly.

"Caroline, it'll be fine. Let him pick the drink, He'll probably get a bottle of something. You pick out a dessert and suggest you share it. The waiter will put in in the middle of the table, and you'll have to lean closer to each other to reach it, and it'l be adorable. Just go back to the table and relax before he wonders what's taking you so long, ok?"

Katherine hung up the phone.

"What wine should I tell him? I was thinking a caber-" Elijah asked.

"Champagne." Katherine butted in. "It's perfect for celebrating special occasions, and it was what she was drinking the first night they fu- the first night they kissed."

Elijah nodded and sent a final text to his brother and set the phone down.

"You know, it's scary how good you are at this." He said to her.

"I'm a woman of many talents." Katherine said suggestively.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten" Elijah smiled.

* * *

Caroline walked back to the table and she saw him tuck his phone away and scramble to stand up as she approached. She walked over to him and kissed him softly as he moved towards her to pull out her chair. He seemed pleasantly surprised by the gesture, and it, combined with Elijah's help, calmed his nerves.

She saw him put his hand on the table. Katherine said that was the signal that she should put hers there to so he could hold it. She seriously hoped Katherine wasn't full of shit and carefully placed her hand on the table.

He watched her hesitantly place her hand on the table, a few inches away from his. Elijah had said that meant he should hold her hand. Why was he trusting Elijah for this kind of advice? Well, lets see how this one goes and maybe the rest of his advice will be the same.

He reached out and wrapped his hand around hers. She smiled at him. It was working. He felt relieved that his nerd brother had some tricks up his sleeve.

"I don't know what to order." She said, looking at the menu.

He was glad Elijah had thought of that too.

"I think you should get this." He pointed "And I'll get this one" he pointed to the one next to it. "And if you don't like yours, we'll switch."

"Thanks" she smiled. "I have no idea how to even pronounce this stuff."

The waiter came over to take their orders.

"And to drink?" He asked.

Caroline looked to Nik for help.

"Can we have a bottle of champagne?" Nik asked the waiter, and he looked at the list and pointed to one at random, hoping it was good. "This one?"

The waiter nodded and came back quickly with their drinks.

After their first glasses they were both more relaxed. She was back to her bubbly self, telling him funny stories and asking questions. He would answer her and ask more back, curious to get to know her more, but sometimes he just got distracted looking at her. She was here. With him.

The food came and they were both relieved that it was really good, although it was so fancy it was hard to tell what it was exactly. She insisted on feeding him some of hers and he followed suit. They were joking as they ate and he was having fun seeing what he could say to make her giggle. One of the older couples near them turned to see what the noise was, and they looked at the young couple, then back to each other and smiled, a look of reminiscence on their faces. Nik saw the man whisper something to the woman and hold her hand. He felt like a new member in some secret club he never knew existed. Just like he could spot another assassin in a crowd, could people in love see it in others? Was it something that was obvious to most people? He had never noticed it before right now.

When the waiter asked if they wanted dessert, Caroline suggested they split something and he let her pick. She just looked for something with the word chocolate in it and pointed to that.

She wanted to hug Katherine for being right on the nose about this one. They both perched up a little, leaning into the table to reach the dome shaped cake type thing between them and she caught him stealing glances at her the whole time. She couldn't wait to get out of there and be alone with him. Caroline was already zoning in on how she was going to get that tie off him. She would go for the jacket first, then the tie, shirt, belt..."

"Caroline?" he asked.

"Huh?" She snapped out of her daze.

"Did you want to?"

"What?"

"Dance?" He motioned to the room next to the one the tables were in. There was a bar and a few couples were dancing. He noticed the happy looking older couple had gone in the other room to dance after they paid their check.

The waiter handed him a little leather folder holding the check and he simply put his credit card on the folder and handed it back without bothering to look first.

Caroline looked around, confused.

"I was saying, once I sign this, we can go in there if you like, people are dancing. Never mind, it was a stupid idea."

He wanted to smack himself for blurting out something from his own mind. Elijah had helped him though all this and he had to go and do something himself to make it awkward.

"No. I'd love to." Caroline smiled.

"Really?" He asked hesitantly.

The check was back and he signed it and slipped the card in his pocket.

"Yes." Caroline said.

They got up and he took her hand to lead her into the next room.

She looked out to the piano player in the corner and the half dozen couples swaying around the dance floor. He hesitated a bit as they got closer and she lead the way onto the dance floor.

"You don't really do this kind of stuff, do you?" She asked.

"No." he admitted, shifting his weight between his feet and trying to figure out what he was supposed to be doing.

She shook her head at him and wrapped her hands around his neck, leaning her head against his shoulder.

He felt her move slightly, swaying from side to side and he followed her lead, moving from side to side, circling his arms around her waist.

"This is nice." He said.

"Yeah." she agreed, moving closer to him.

They swayed together, quietly listening to the music for a few more songs.

"Ready to get out of here? We still have a second part of the date." He smiled.

"Finally." She smiled. "I can't wait to get you out of that-"

"Not so fast, sweetheart."

"What?" She looked disappointed.

"I didn't mean second part like that. There's another stop before the nights over."

"And after that, we go somewhere?"

"Well, normally I wouldn't be so presumptuous, but since you've made it clear that you wanted to spend the night away from the rest of the group, I've found a place to stay. We'll call that part three of our date."

"Alright, so where's part two?"

"You'll see when we get there."

* * *

He drove though a twisting narrow road though the jungle. She kept pestering him but he wouldn't tell her. They reached an empty parking lot that ran up against a tall privacy fence. There was a big door with a heavy lock along the fence.

"Where are we?"

"Glove box." He pointed.

She opened it up and there was a big metal ring full of keys and a pair of her flats.

"You kidnapped my shoes!" She protested.

"I figured you wouldn't want to spend the whole night in the ones you're wearing."

She smiled and took off her heels, slipping the flats on. She picked up the ring of keys and handed them over.

He walked up to the door, and unlocked it. There was a note next to it.

Nik - Security comes around at 1 am. make sure you're out and it's locked up by then. Leave the keys in the spot we talked about.

"What's that about?" She asked.

"Just calling in a favor with a friend." He said.

She watched him put the note in his pocket and walk through the door. She looked around, then followed him.

It was both the creepiest and sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. They were standing in the middle of a local theme park. Everything was eerie in the dark and silence and it made her inch closer to him and keep looking behind her shoulder.

"Which ride do you want to go on first?" He asked, jiggling the keys.

She looked around and the big ferris wheel caught her eye. He watched her look at it and took her hand to walk over to it.

She sat in the basket and waited while he plugged one of the keys into the machine and pushed a few buttons.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Caroline, they let teenagers operate these things, it's fine."

"Yeah but the teenagers aren't riding them at the same time."

"I'm sure some of them have tried it. There's an auto start and stop setting. I can push it and it starts after five seconds and it'll stop once it makes a full circle."

"Alright, I'm trusting you not to get yourself killed."

"Right. Ruthless hit-man killed by ferris wheel. You must be 48 inches or taller to go to his funeral."

"Not funny, Nik!"

The whole thing lit up and started making whirling noises. He punched a few buttons and scurried into the basket with her.

On the way up she leaned out the side and looked at all the different rides, trying to figure out which ones to go on. He watched her face, lit up by the glow of all the lights blinking on the machine. She was perfect.

"That's a haunted house!" She pointed off to the side. "And tea cups, and the roller coaster looks fun! Oh, what about that one over there?"

He smiled, watching her get excited over every thing that caught her eye.

After they went on all the rides she pointed out, they wandered off to the edges of the park looking for more. They passed a food stand and he caught her eyes go wide at the sight of the big bags of cotton candy. He flipped though the keys and found one that worked.

"You're stealing!" she whispered, as if other people could hear them.

He pealed the wrapper off and pulled a piece of the cotton candy off and ate it.

"Oh, did you not want any, then? Is petty theft where you draw the line?"

"Well, someone had to say it."

"Would you like some stolen candy or not?" he waved it in front of her.

She sighed and grabbed some. In the long run, this one little thing wouldn't matter, especially compared to everything else.

"You think Robbie would like this place?" She asked.

"It was his idea."

"You're kidding."

"Not kidding. I called Jimmy, had him put the kid on the phone, asked for some dating pointers."

"Really? And what did Robbie say?"

"He told me that girls were gross, but you're not. And he said to go somewhere with rides and junk food."

"Is that all?"

"He also suggested that I wear an Iron man suit and bring you video games, but i decided against that one."

"He's a fun kid." Caroline smiled.

"I have a job with Jimmy lined up in a few months." Nik said quietly.

"Oh?" Caroline asked, not sure how to respond.

"If you don't hate me again by that time, you can always come with me to visit them. I'm not letting you anywhere near the job itself, but if you wanted to come along for some time with Robbie."

She tilted her head and looked at him. He was already planning on her being around a few months in the future. He wanted her to spend time with one of the few people he actually cared about.

He misread her expression and thought he went too overboard, scaring her off by talking about the future. "It's not a big deal, just talking out loud, of course you don't have to say anything."

"No. I want to be there. I'd like to see Robbie again. And I... I'd like to still be with you then."

He felt relief wash over him. Her reaction made it ok to imagine them being together for a while. He could make little plans in his mind. She didn't mind talking about a future with him, even if it was as close as a few months away."

"But what are we going to do when we get off the boat in a few days?" She asked.

"Do you want to go home?" He asked "Is there a place you need to be?"

"No. I don't really have anything to go back to. My mom and I don't talk, because of the whole dropping out of college to run away with Tyler thing."

"Well I'm not Tyler. And you're not with him anymore. We could go to her, if you want to try to patch things up."

"I'm not really ready for that yet."

"We could tag along with your friends and my sister in Bogota. That way you won't be separated from Elena." He offered.

"I'd like that. Maybe we could catch up with them later, but do you think we could go somewhere for a little while first? Just the two of us?"

"I'd like that." He smiled. "Where to? Rome? Paris? Tokyo?"

"Really?" Her eyes grew wide. "Wow. We can go places like that?"

"Why not?"

"It's a lot cheaper to stay around here. The exchange rates over there, the airfare, not to mention the cost of living. And where would we stay?"

"Money isn't a problem." He shrugged.

"It is for me! I don't have that much! Damon would pay me to do little jobs for them, and Tyler just let me use his cards for most things. I don't have enough to cover my half of things if we're living in Rome."

"So what? You don't need to worry. I've got it."

"I don't want to be that person. Not with you."

"What person? I'm offering. It's nothing."

"The kind of person who's with a guy and learns to depend on him for money and it creates all these weird little power plays and I don't like it. I don't want to be some kept woman."

"Ok, we'll figure it out. We'll think of something. Can you agree to letting me take care of you temporarily? I don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me because of money. I'll help you find whatever it is you want to do. Or you can go to school. Whatever you want."

"I don't even know what I want to do. I'm only good at throwing parties and organizing school fundraisers. That and doing 'little blonde distraction' duty for Damon."

"Really." He said, a smile slowly forming on his lips. "So you're good at throwing parties and getting people to buy things?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I think I've got a job for you already." He flipped though his phone. "Have I ever shown you the paintings I do?"

"No."

"Ok, It's just something I do when I'm not working, not anything serious but-"

"Holy crap, you did that?" She leaned into him to look at the pictures he was pulling up on the phone.

"It's nothing, really."

"Will you stop saying that? I knew you liked to paint, I didn't know you were a freaking artist."

"They aren't that good, just something to pass the time."

"Stop it, they're amazing."

"Thank you." He looked down, a little embarrassed.

"So what does this have to do with having an idea for a job?"

"Ah, yes. I have a storage unit full of paintings. It's near overflowing. I just keep making them and throwing them in there. A few years ago, Kol would put together these parties, with the paintings on display, and he would get people to buy them. I gave him 20 percent. We stopped doing it, because he got into gambling, couldn't be trusted with money. I hate doing it myself, I'm no good at people or parties."

"I think I can do that." Caroline smiled.

"So it's settled. You'll let me take care of everything for now, and once you're on your feet with that, we'll figure out a fair arraignment."

"Deal." She agreed.

He looked at the time on his phone. "We have time for one more before we have to sneak out of here."

She looked around and picked the go-karts.

"That one."

"I'm not going to let you win." He warned.

"You've never seen me drive." She challenged.

* * *

"I can't believe you beat me." He said again as he drove to the hotel he picked out for the night.

"I can't believe you're still pretending you didn't let me win."

"I didn't! You drive like a maniac!"

"At least I drove on the right side of the road!"

"There't no oncoming traffic in go-karts!"

He pulled into the parking space. They were in front of an expensive looking hotel on the water.

"Wow. Fancy." She muttered.

"You are dressed fancy." He motioned towards her dress.

"I still beat you in go-karts wearing this stupid thing!"

"Stupid? I'm offended, sweetheart. I picked it out almost by myself."

"Oh, did Robbie help you with this too?"

"No, a work associate gave me some advice. But I picked this one because it brings out your eyes."

She gave him an exasperated look. "You're too much! Just stop with all the complements, the crazy gifts and elaborate dates! I can't handle this level of romantic."

"So I should get rid of the flowers and champagne I ordered for our room?"

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"Too cliche? I could always see if they have some buffalo wings, I know you can go through a plate of them like someone three times your size. Would you like that instead?"

"Right now all I can think about is getting you alone in that room." She said.

They approached the front desk and he calmly chatted with the concierge as they got checked in. She stood close to him and leaned her head against his shoulder as he signed the receipt and waited for their keys.

She felt his hand trace circles along the side of her leg that was near him, and his hand wandered around the back of her leg until he noticed the seam up the back, and ran a finger up and down it.

Caroline gulped and tried to keep a straight face while he continued talking with the concierge, one hand on the table waiting for the keys, while his other hand was moving under her dress.

Elena told her that the ultimate in bad girl lingerie was a garter belt and stockings with a seam up the back, so she had trusted her and gone for the big guns.

She met his eye as he grabbed the key and she knew that even though he was keeping a calm facade, he was ready to pounce.

They walked to the elevator hand in hand, calmly making idle conversation. He pushed the button and the doors opened. She stepped inside and he followed.

The moment the doors shut he was on her. His lips roughly attacked her as he shoved her against the wall, making her gasp into his kiss. She was pinned, and he was taking full advantage of having her right where he wanted her. His hands were everywhere, sliding down her legs, hiking up her skirt. He moved his fingers along the seam at the back of her legs again. How had he gone all night without noticing that? He traced up the line until he felt skin. the stocking didn't go all the way up. He felt around and noticed thin straps holding them. He was already getting a picture in his mind of what was under that dress and he couldn't stand another moment of waiting. He was counting down the seconds until the elevator opened again and he could get her in their room. That dress needed to come off, now.

She twisted away from him. He looked confused as she slid along the wall and he reached out to pull her back, but she pushed him away. Her eye was on the little box next to the buttons for each floor. She pulled it open and pushed down the lever, causing the elevator to grind to a halt between floors.

Her lips were back on his instantly. He kissed back, moving down her neck, each kiss a thank you to her for being so brilliant to think of stopping the elevator.

She found his belt and loosened the buckle, then worked on his zipper.

_That's odd, usually she goes for the shirt first_, he thought, but he didn't mind one bit. He reached for the zipper at the back of her dress but she swatted his hand away.

He gave her a confused look, but she shut him up before he had a chance to speak by kissing him again. And again. And again. He was so caught up in it he didn't even notice his pants were around his ankles.

And then she broke away from the kiss and ducked down.

"Caroline, where are you go- oh!"

He grabbed onto the walls for support, feeling her warm mouth sliding along his erection. She was taking all of him in, then sliding her lips so she just at the tip, swirling her tongue around it, before diving all the way back down again.

His hips jerked forward involuntarily and he pushed his palms against the walls hard, trying to keep steady. He looked down and her eyes met his, sending shocks of pleasure though him at the sight of her, her mouth on him, her eyes full of fire.

She kept going, changing up the pace every time he got comfortable, making it near impossible for him to hold on much longer. He tried to pull her up but she pushed away his hand.

"Caroline, I don't think I can hold out much longer." He said, his voice shaky.

She hummed something out he couldn't understand. It's hard to talk with your mouth full. Something like "Mhhh hhhumm mmhhhur."

He was fairly certain she was saying "I don't care." but he was seconds away and the vibrations from her humming weren't making it any easier to hold back.

"Love... I'm about to..."

"mmmm hmmm." She responded, not stopping her movements, and he felt himself shudder from head to toe as she sucked an earth-shattering orgasm out of him. He thought he might have shouted something out in the moment, but he wasn't even sure what.

As soon as he was done, she bobbed her head one final time, making sure to catch every last drop, before pulling herself back up and wiping off her mouth with the back of her hand.

She smiled at him like nothing happened and walked over to flip the switch back.

He was frozen in place, just staring at her with his mouth open.

"Nik, you should pull your pants up. I'm going to turn the elevator back on."

"Oh. Right." He scrambled to get everything in place. He felt the whirr of gears starting up again and the elevator moved up. She was back at his side and he kissed her as soon as she was within reach. He kissed her hard and passionately, trying to submit the 'you should totally do that again any time' message. He leaned his forehead to hers. "You're incredible, you know?" he whispered, and she just giggled, so he pulled her closer and kissed her again.

There was a ding as the elevator stopped on the 6th floor.

"I thought we were on the tenth floor?" She asked.

"We are." He responded.

She shrugged and kissed him again.

The doors opened and a little old lady peered in.

"Going down?" She asked, shooting Caroline a judgmental look.

Nik snorted a laugh and covered his mouth. Caroline fell into a fit of giggles and leaned her face against his shirt.

"No.. ah.. we're going up." He managed to say, and the woman nodded, waiting for the next elevator down.

They made their way up to their floor and didn't stop laughing until they got halfway down the hall.

* * *

"16... 17... 18. Here we are, love."

The lock clicked and they were inside. His eyes scanned the room quickly, making a note of the path to the bed and the surrounding furniture.

She walked over to the window, peeking out at the ocean on the other side. It was gorgeous and brutal, rough waves attacking the shore, dragging the sand back and forth. She kicked her shoes off, and let a stocking covered toe graze across the carpet. Her heart was slamming though her chest and her breathing was shaky already. They hadn't even started yet.

She turned around and saw him watching her intensely. He was still way on the other side of the room, near the door. She met his gaze and stared back at him for a moment, the room suddenly electric.

_Let the games begin_, she thought.

He took a step towards her and she moved towards him in response. Both of them walked with purpose, eyes never wavering. They met in the middle of the room, and he held on to her roughly and he brought his lips to hers. She grabbed the back of his head, pulling him in, pushing him closer. There were no light or soft kisses here, she was slamming into him with as much force as she could bring.

Her tongue found his and started a playful battle for dominance. His hands were moving up her body, the landed on the sides of her face, gripping on to keep her close.

She moved her hands down to his shoulders and found the edge of his jacket, pushing it off. He begrudgingly let his hands leave her for a moment so he could move his arms out of the jacket and immediately moved them back to her, pulling on the back of her shoulders, open palms pushing down her back, landing at the base of her spine, pushing her forward so her hips met his.

She went for the tie next and quickly realized that she hated ties. They were absolutely stupid. She was tugging and pulling at the damn thing without it budging at all. The only thing it was good for was pulling on the part that hung down to bring him closer. The knot at the top could go straight to hell. Stupid.

He noticed her losing her focus on kissing him back as her fingers continued to yank at his tie in different ways without actually getting it to slip. He smiled and moved her hand away, loosening it himself and undoing the knot completely so it was just a long strip of fabric hanging from his neck.

She pouted. He made it look so easy. She'd have to learn how to do that.

He held the ends of it and swung it behind her, pulling her back to him. She swatted it away and went for his shirt, moving her way down each button with unprecedented speed. _Off, off, get it all off_, she thought. _Finally, skin_. She ran her hands all over him, trying to touch every inch of exposed skin. Her fingers moved softly across scars and tattoos, finding the mark on his shoulder where he was stabbed a few weeks ago, where she sewed him up in that little shelter. There was still a bandage around his upper left arm, covering the rapidly healing bullet wound. She traced around it with her fingers first, before placing soft kisses around it, on top of the bandage, then moving to the mark where she sewed him up earlier, traveling around his skin, she tried to kiss every mark.

She finally moved on to reach his pants, but he pulled on her wrist, spinning her around so he was behind her.

"My turn." He spoke into her ear.

He moved her hair over her shoulder and kissed the center of the back of her neck. He moved down her shoulder, kissing bare skin until he met the strap of her dress, pushing it down her shoulder and kissing the skin that had been under it. He moved to the other side and repeated the actions, slipping that strap down her shoulder as well. He found the zipper and pulled gently. She was breathing franticly as she stood perfectly still, feeling his hand trace down her back behind the opening zipper, until he had it all the way down and the dress fell, a pool of silky fabric surrounding her feet.

He looked down at what she had underneath and had to bite his lip hard. It was an impossibly sexy mix of pale blue silk and deep blue lace, the delicate bra matching the garter belt at her waist, straps snaking down past the lace underwear to grip the tops of the flimsy stockings. Tiny circles of lace decorated the tops of her stockings, circling the tops of her thighs, trailing down into the dark seams that ran down the backs of her legs. It was a map of every spot on her body he wanted to kiss and lick.

He moved his hands around her stomach, and pulled her to him, her back against his chest. He nuzzled into her neck, kissing and sucking on every spot he could reach. She sighed and leaned into him, letting her head drop back against him. He moved his mouth just forward of the curve of her shoulder, able to watch his own hands move up her stomach and into her bra, toying with her soft flesh, grazing her nipples, enjoying the feeling of them hardening under his touch.

She moaned and wiggled her hips against him, able to feel him getting hard again, pressing against her.

He need her mouth on his again, so he moved, scooping her up and putting her on a table, pulling her legs around his waist before he took her lower lip between his and tugged on it.

It send waves of arousal through her and she pushed closer to the edge of the table, her core rubbing against him. She locked her legs around him and grinded against him. His hands were at her back and he unhooked her bra and threw it across the room before leaning down to attack her breasts with his mouth, kissing, sucking, pulling on her nipples with his teeth. He could feel her rapid heartbeat pounding though.

He scooped her up by the ass and moved her to the bed, letting her fall, splayed out in the middle. His hands moved to the contraption she was wearing, it circled around her waist, holding up those stocking with little hooks and straps, but his hands couldn't find the way to unclick it. The torture device she was wearing was driving him absolutely mad. It looked amazing, but he wanted to get to what was underneath it. It would be a shame to destroy something so beautiful. Oh well.

Caroline gasped as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. He flicked it out of it's casing and leaned closer, pulling on the garter belt.

"Aren't you going to ask me if I'm going to kill you?" He teased her.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Stay very still." he warned.

He moved his hand under, placing it between her skin and what he was trying to cut away, Slowly, carefully, he sliced it apart and it was off. He pulled on it, the straps still attached dragging the stocking off until they reached her feet and fell to the floor.

She started to sit up but he pushed her down.

"Not done yet." He murmured.

He hooked a hand under the band of her underwear. Flimsy little thing, it would cut easily. He watched her try to stay still, biting her lip as he raised the knife close to her skin again, carefully cutting away the silk and lace covering her. She was completely naked in front of him. Finally. Again. The siren that had tormented his dreams for weeks with mere memories of once having had her was in front of him and she was real. She knew exactly who he was and yet she was still here, naked and writhing underneath him.

She leaned to him and wrapped her hand around the handle of the knife. For a second he wondered if she would cut his clothing off as retaliation, but she turned it so the blade was facing down and she slammed it into the the bedside table, the blade jammed straight into the wood, and then her attention was back on him. Something about her in that moment made him decide that there was nothing sexier than her holding a deadly weapon. She really should do it more often.

He pushed her back down into the mattress, hooking one of her legs over his shoulder. He kissed her ankle and moved up her leg, nipping at her calf, licking behind her knee, leaving a hot trail running up her inner thigh until he was at her core, his mouth on her. He heard her shout out and her hands landed in his hair, holding on tight. He licked slowly, applying more and more pressure with his tongue, until he was moving faster and faster and she was screaming out his name. He felt her shudder and clench around him and he moved up her body, stopping again at her chest before she grabbed him by the hair and devoured his mouth with hers.

Her hands landed at his waist immediately, scrambling to yank his pants off. She wasn't interested in drawing this out anymore. She needed him right now. He loved watching her as she bit her bottom lip, concentrating on pulling his pants and underwear completely off. She managed to shove them all the way down so he could kick everything off, and he was advancing towards her again, looking hungrily at her.

She pulled him close so his body as pressed against her and she could feel him length pressed against her leg.

"Nik. Please."

"Please, what?"

"Nik."

"Say it."

"I need you inside me."

He had a few different smiles. The one she saw in that moment was the one she called 'the devil's smirk.'

The intensity of that moment, right before he was inside her, made her squirm with anticipation. She was practically whimpering for him. She couldn't stand another second of waiting.

He carefully moved above her, pulling her legs a little further apart.

Her nails were digging into his back as she felt his tip line up with her entrance.

His eyes were locked on hers. He wanted to see her react as he pushed into her.

He drove into her and she gasped out, fingers digging into his skin, her eyes wide. She let out the tiniest whimper and he vowed to make her scream again before he was through.

He started out slow, getting adjusted to the feel of it, letting her get used to him inside her. It took a minute for her to adjust to him, to be able to take all of him in. When she finally did, he felt triumphant in the mix of shock and ecstasy on her face, knowing for sure that no one had ever filled her as completely before him.

He tried to be careful, not wanting to hurt her, but she pushed for more and more. She was bucking her hips against him with every movement, her legs hooked around his back, pushing him closer.

She rolled over so she was on top, and he ran his hands all over her as she moved against him, arching her back and sliding up and down his length. She was sighing and murmuring as she leaned back down to kiss him again.

It wasn't enough. He needed her to be blind with ecstasy. He needed her to be unable to remember anything other than his name. He needed to make sure she was his forever, because no one else could possible compare to the passion he could bring her.

He flipped them over again, slipping her legs behind his hips as he drove into her mercilessly. She was humming out little noises of enjoyment. He changed the angle and pushed into her again, watching the delightful confused joy on her face. He loved that look, where she didn't even understand how what he was doing felt so good. She was gripping on to him tighter, and her muscles were fluttering. She was getting closer.

He pulled her up so he was sitting up and she was on his lap. His hands gripped onto her hips, controlling the movement. He drove into her, deep and slow and she began to shake.

"Nik." She breathed his name.

He felt himself getting closer as she pulsed around him. All he needed was to see her go over the edge, feel her explode around him.

"Nik!" It was much louder this time. She was shaking more now, trembling in his arms. He kissed along her neck, making her hold on to him even tighter.

He moved her shaking hips again, agonizingly slow.

"Nik!" She was screaming it now.

He held his face close to hers, watching her. She was squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth, trying to stifle the shouts that kept tumbling from her lips.

"Open your eyes." He whispered, and they flew open, landing right on his.

Another push and she was pulsing around him, screaming his name over and over, her entire body on fire with the most intense pleasure.

He felt a delicious mix of pleasure and pain as she dug her nails into his back as she came undone.

He drove into her twice more before succumbing to it himself, feeling the most fantastic release shoot through him.

They collapsed against the bed, panting and sweating. He smoothed her hair back and kissed away the bewildered look on her face.

She pulled close to him, resting her forehead against his chest.

"You know I'm never, ever getting rid of you now." She sighed.

He reached an arm around to keep her close.

"That's the idea, sweetheart."


	25. Chapter 25

The clock on the bedside table glowed red, indicating it was after three. Caroline woke up to the reflection from the clock bouncing off something shiny on the bedside table. The knife glinted menacingly and for a split second she panicked, before remembering she was the one to put it there.

She padded over to the bathroom, looking for something to wear. Her dress wasn't comfortable enough to sleep in, the underwear that landed across the floor was torn to shreds. She found his shirt on the floor and pulled in on, fastening a few of the buttons before digging her phone out of her purse.

Once she was in the bathroom, she decided to send a text to Katherine. She always stayed up late anyway.

**Hey- thanks for all your help. you're a life saver!**

Her phone beeped a moment later.

**No problem! I hope you fucked him senseless. Now if only I could get laid...**

**Haha. See you in the morning.**

**Night, Care.**

Caroline climbed back onto bed. He felt the movement near him and half opened his eyes, looking groggy and disheveled. She wiggled under the sheets and he pulled her close.

"You're not naked." He grumbled.

"Shhh, go back to sleep."

"No. Off." He grumbled, pulling at the few buttons, letting the shirt fly open so he could move his hands around her body inside of it. He needed to be attached to her skin, hold it against him to be able to sleep. She curled closer to him and he pulled his head up on to her chest.

She watched his eyes flutter closed again as soon as his hands were around her, his body pressed against hers, skin against skin. She ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the sight of him so peaceful.

"Don't leave." He murmured into her skin.

"I won't." She promised, trailing a hand up and down his spine, and she knew she meant it.

"Stay." He whispered, and his eyes closed again. She listened to his even breathing and knew he was asleep.

* * *

Katherine slipped her phone back in her pocket and motioned to the bartender.

He came right away, there were only a few patrons left this late.

"Another bourbon?"

"Nah. Give me something that tastes like a surly British man and shameful regret."

He looked her over, considering cutting her off, but just shrugged, deciding she was more weird than wasted.

"So, a gin and tonic then?" he suggested.

"Bring it on." She sighed.

The bartender set a glass in front of her.

"Thanks. This is going to be my last one, so can you close out my tab?" She asked.

"It's already paid for." The bartender smiled.

"After I spent the last hour ranting to you about how much I miss my ex? You're a saint among men, good sir."

"Not me. That guy in the back." The bartender pointed. "He told me to put all your drinks on his tab."

She turned around.

Elijah was leaning against one of the tables, turning his mostly empty glass from side to side.

"Hey" She smiled, and he nodded in response, walking over to her.

"How long did you know I was there?" He asked.

"Sorry?"

"You don't whine to strangers about your personal life. You were talking because I was listening."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, but she smiled as she took another sip of her drink. He knew all her tricks, and she knew his.

"Back to your old tricks?" He asked, motioning towards the wealthy looking older man at a table near the bar.

"Actually, I'm thinking about taking a break from work." She said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've been considering maybe looking into other fields."

"No more wealthy men?" Elijah raised his eyebrow.

"Nope. Done with that."

"So women now?"

Katherine laughed and shook her head. "No. Just done with it, you know?"

"So what now?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know." Katherine sighed. "I want to be someone else."

"Why do you want to be?"

"Someone you would like."

"You already are." Elijah said.

* * *

The room was dark except for the blinking clock on the table and the tiny strip of light that shone through the curtains. His phone was buzzing incessantly and he stumbled out of the bed to get it.

"What?"

"Stefan told me to call you." Becca sighed.

"Hmmft." he grunted out, finding his underwear on the floor.

"Stefan says-"

"It's too early in the morning for Stefan says."

"Nik, it's almost noon."

He looked over at the clock and saw she was right. Caroline was still fast asleep.

"Alright, I'm up."

"Stefan says the guy with the boat will be here at two. So you need to come back so we can all get to the docks. Damon's already getting all anxious. He keeps prattling about 'Team Badass' and his stupid friend with the boat. It's so annoying."

"You're the one going to Colombia with the Salvatores, I think you've got a lot more annoying in your future."

"I wish you were coming with us."

"Caroline and I need some time alone. I need to make this work."

"You can't do that with us around?"

"Becca, let me have some time alone with her. I'm trying to do this right and build something with her. I want to make sure everything's good before I start working again."

"You know I'm going to New Orleans with them next month. Bogota is just three weeks."

"I heard. Caroline and I have talked about it already. I have a job the first week, so I'm sending her to stay with Elena and you and the Salvatores. I'll come by after the job's done."

"No snide comment about running around dangerous places with foolish men?"

"And risk repeating myself? Just be careful please. Make sure you're back in New York for the first day of school. And for god's sake, don't even think about telling Kol where you are. You know how he gets."

"Got it, Nik. Hurry up and get over here."

"On my way."

He pulled on his pants and looked around the floor for his shirt before remembering that someone else was occupying it. Caroline turned a little in her sleep and he sat on the side of the bed, watching her. He lightly traced a finger along the side of her face, but she didn't stir.

"Caroline" He whispered.

"Hmmm." she responded, keeping her eyes shut.

"Time to wake up."

"Mmm mmm." She nodded her head, not opening her eyes.

He slowly pulled the sheet down, exposing her sprawled out figure, his shirt open and wrapped around her arms.

"Wake up." He said again, lightly tracing his fingernails down her stomach.

He traced his fingers across her stomach, watching her smile but keep her eyes closed. He moved his hand to the side, where he knew she was ticklish.

She scrunched up her face.

"Oh does that tickle? it shouldn't matter, since you're not awake."

She was starting to crack. She was squirming and scrunching up her face. He kept tickling her.

"Ok, ok!" Her eyes opened. "I'm up! Stop it!"

"Not a chance." He grinned.

"No!" She shouted and tried to wiggle out of his reach, laughing.

He scooped her up and kissed her.

"We have to go back." He said.

"No, let's stay here forever." She said.

"We have a boat to catch."

"Three days on a boat with all my friends and your siblings? They're going to drive us crazy."

"You haven't even met Kol yet. You haven't seen crazy."

"When am I going to meet him?"

"I'm not sure I want you to meet him, he might try to steal you away from me."

"Impossible."

* * *

Damon and Stefan were sitting in the living room, a map in from of them. They were discussing their plan for the three weeks they had ahead of them in Colombia, and what the most logical order of events would be. The door slid open and they turned their attention to who was walking in.

Katherine and Elijah stepped in, their arms wrapped around each other's back. They were each holding their shoes and their feet were covered in sand.

Stefan gave each of them an up and down look, and glanced back at Damon.

Katherine and Elijah dropped their arms and took a step apart.

"What were you two doing?" Stefan asked.

"Um, just a walk on the beach." Katherine said.

"Yes, It's a lovely morning, and I asked Kat if she would like to accompany me for a walk on the beach. Because it is morning."

"You hate Katherine." Damon said.

"I do not. Hate is a very strong word that does not quite apply to how I feel." Elijah said, his voice formal.

"Waaaait a minute." Damon said, walking over to them, circling around each of them, looking them over. "I saw you go out to the bar last night, Kat. You were wearing that same outfit."

She glared at him.

"Just a walk on the beach? First thing in the morning?, Come on Kat, we know you don't wake up before noon unless you're being chased. Or there's an old rich dude waiting to buy you things."

"Damon, don't you have somewhere to be?" Elijah asked.

"You two were out all night!" Damon said, doing a giddy little dance. "You're so busted."

"Nothing happened, you nosy little children." Katherine sniffed.

"Then why is Elijah smiling? It's creepy." Damon said.

"Just... sod off!" Katherine shouted, storming off to her room to pack up.

"She's already using British slang?" Stefan mused. he turned to Elijah. "You must really be rubbing off on her."

"More like _on her_." Damon snorted.

Elijah shook his head and walked away. The Salvatore brothers could be such children. He couldn't believe his sister was with one of them.

They turned back to their maps and a few minutes later the door opened again. This time Nik and Caroline walked in. They were holding hands and grinning.

"Speaking of being out all night." Damon said.

"Good morning, Damon." Caroline grumbled.

"More like good afternoon. You sleep late? You must have been a busy girl."

"Do you have any tact?" Nik glared at him.

Caroline rubbed her thumb along his palm, seeing him getting worked up at the way Damon spoke to her.

"Nik, it's fine. This group of friends is just very open about everything. Especially Damon."

"It's true." Damon said. "Which is why I feel totally free saying I can tell Caroline isn't wearing any underwear right now. Because I know my friends and we're open with each other, and that is her 'I'm not wearing any underwear' posture."

"Dude, why?" Stefan made a face.

"What? Am I wrong?" Damon protested.

"No." Caroline sighed.

"Go Caroline. Or should I say, go Nik?" Damon smirked.

Nik looked at Damon like he was about to rip his head off. Caroline kept trying to calm him down, but he was gritting his teeth, ready to attack.

Becca walked in and said hi to everyone before snuggling next to Stefan.

Damon was still smirking at Caroline.

"Is he always so crass?" Nik asked Becca, pointing at Damon.

"Oh, almost exclusively." She smiled.

Stefan shrugged.

"He doesn't have much of a filter when it comes to anything. I've seen him naked." Becca added.

"What?" Nik looked horrified.

Stefan nodded. "It's true. I have more times than I wish to admit."

Nik turned to Caroline.

"I walked in on him getting out of my bathtub. Twice." Caroline said, making a face.

"This is who I'm trusting to keep my sister safe?" Nik said, horrified.

"Let's get a drink." Stefan said to Nik, pulling him from the room. "Just you and me."

* * *

Nik and Stefan sat at the bar, feeling very overdressed for having drinks outdoors in the middle of the afternoon.

The photographer was wandering around the bar near the beach. A few couples or families ran up to him and asked for pictures, and he would give them a ticket after he snapped the shot, they could find copies in one of the gift shops at the nearest tower.

Stefan tapped the guy as he walked past them.

"Hey. Take a picture of my brother and me."

Stefan put his arm around Nik's shoulders and smiled as the camera flashed.

"Brother?" Nik said, laughing.

"Yeah, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." Stefan said.

"I'm listening."

"Damon's a nut. I know. He's crude, but he means well. And he's a lot smarter than he looks. Between the two of us, Becca will be completely safe. You have my word."

"Thank you." Nik said.

"I need to know, though." Stefan said. "I need to know that Caroline's safe with you."

"Of course. That's the most important thing to me."

Nik looked at him. He could see a worry on Stefan's face that he recognized. It was the way a brother worries about his sister.

"With Tyler, we all knew something was wrong, we let it get to far. I got there a minute too late. I couldn't stop it from happening."

"It's not your fault he hit her." Nik said.

"He was my friend, my partner. I knew something was up, but I dragged my feet and waited too long to take him out. I should have listened to Damon and gotten it done earlier. If I was in that room with her a minute earlier..."

"If you were there a minute later, he might have actually killer her." Nik said. "You have no idea how much I owe you."

Stefan looked him over. "You really love her, don't you."

"I do. I didn't understand what it was, at first. She's everything. I didn't know people like her were real."

Stefan smiled "There are no people like Caroline. There's just her."

"It happened so fast, but I can't imagine a life without her anymore." Nik said.

"Yeah, you know... that's how I feel about Becca."

Nik shot Stefan a look.

"I know, I know. You're her brother and you have every reason to be protective. I just need you to know, that I'm in this for as long as she'll have me. I'm not letting her drop out of school either. We talked about it, and she'll travel with me when she's not in school, and when classes are in session she stays in New York and I'll get there as often as humanly possible."

"You know I'm still going to be hard on you. I didn't want my sister to fall for someone with this kind of life."

"Funny, I could say the same thing to you."

"Caroline isn't your sister."

"Yeah, she is. She's not blood, but she is."

Someone walked over and handed Stefan the ticket for their photo.

"You can pick the picture of you and your brother up whenever you're ready."

Stefan thanked them and nodded, then handed the ticket to Nik.

"I think eventually, we really will be brothers."

* * *

Meredith ran at a full sprint to the man on the boat. He hopped off and landed on the dock before picking her up and spinning her around a few times.

Stefan Damon, Elena and Katherine greeted him with hugs, they all knew him well. He quickly went around and introduced himself to the rest of them.

"Alaric" He said, holding a hand out for Nik to shake.

"Nik." He said, eyeing the man warily. They were trusting him completely by going on his boat to their destination. If this man was some kind of informant he could hand deliver all of them to the police.

"Ah, the guy with the bullet in his arm." Alaric nodded.

"Not anymore, thankfully." Nik smiled.

"Well, let's see" Alaric motioned to Nik's arm.

Nik obliged and showed him the injury, which was now more of a scar than anything else.

"Nice work, Babes." Alaric called over his shoulder to Meredith.

"I had a lot of help." She said, pointing to Becca and Caroline.

"Three beautiful women fussing over you, huh? Almost makes it worth getting shot." Alaric joked. "Hey you should see this scar on my leg, there was this coral reef and a tiger shark..."

Damon jumped on the boat and held out a hand to help Elena up.

"Ric, you think you can compare battle wounds on the move?" he shouted over to his friend.

"On it." Ric nodded, and started to untie the ropes that held the yacht to the dock. "Alright, everybody on. Let's go."

Caroline found herself sitting next to Nik on the dock, looking back at the island while the boat pulled away. She held his hand and watched the place they met grow smaller in the distance until it disappeared.

* * *

"What's going on over there?" Nik asked Damon.

Caroline, Elena and Stefan were sitting at the table across from Alaric, who was in the middle of a story. The three of them were riveted, nodding along and listening.

"So that's why everyone associates gold with the Aztecs, but any treasure hunter worth their salt knows that the Mayans left the best stuff behind. There have been some recent discoveries in Guatemala that date back to over 1600 years ago, and you won't believe the kind of stuff they dug up."

Meredith came over to join Nik and Damon.

"Oh, is class in session again?" She asked, giving Damon a knowing smile.

Damon nodded, then pointed to Becca, who had been listening from across the room and was now creeping closer to hear Alaric's story.

"Look's like he's got a new student." Damon said.

"Student?" Nik asked.

"Ric's like a history buff, he's always telling these stories, they can't get enough of them." Damon said.

"I always said he would have made a great teacher." Meredith added. "I think that's probably what he would have been doing with his history degree if it wasn't for all this artifact hunting and buried treasure stuff he has me chasing him around the world for.

"Oh, like you wanted to stay in town your whole life?" Damon teased her.

"No, in fact losing my medical license and falling for some bad boy treasure hunter was probably the best thing that ever happened to me." Meredith agreed.

"Oh, please. If you want a bad boy, all you have to do is ask." Damon smiled.

"The answer is the same as always, hell no."

"Well then, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bust my girlfriend out of Mr. Saltzman's class." Damon joked.

"Elena! Family emergency! You're needed in the main office" Damon shouted.

"Not now, Ric's just getting to the good part!" Elena shot back.

"Nerd!" He called.

"Delinquent!" She shot back.

After a good forty five minutes of listening to Alaric's stories, Caroline came bounding back over to where Nik sat at the edge of the dock.

"How was class?" He joked.

She held out a book. "Alaric's loaning me this one about pirates in the western hemisphere. I just started the first chapter. He said he read it for a class his junior year at college."

He leaned closer and she pointed out maps and sketches in the book to him, recounting the stories Alaric told her.

"And this one" She pointed to one of the portraits in the book. "Ric says he was the most ruthless killer to ever sail the Caribbean."

"Most ruthless ever?"

"Apparently."

"Nonsense."

"What do you mean?"

He motioned to the open ocean around them. "Now, where are we?"

"The ocean."

"Specifically."

"The Caribbean."

He waved his hand at the water, then back at himself.

She laughed. "Fine. You're the most ruthless killer to ever hit the Caribbean. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Judging by the looks of these pirates, I'm the most handsome also."

"I wholeheartedly agree" She laughed.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N Hey everyone! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and for sticking with this story. There will be two more chapters after this one. I'm sad that it's almost over, but I feel like this story is wrapping up. Anyway, keep an eye out for the first chapter of a new Klaus/Caroline story from me later tonight, and I'll be updating Things Are Not What They Seem this weekend. **

* * *

"Yo, ho ho and a bottle of rum..."

Caroline squinted at the sunset, which was casting an orange glow around the dock.

Damon and Alaric stumbled into her view, passing forth a bottle of rum, taking swigs from it.

"Our captain's drunk." She said to Elena.

"Don't worry, Meredith's driving the boat." Elena assured her.

"Babe! Ric's hooking us up! You should see the rooms below deck!" Damon called.

"How big is this boat?" Caroline asked. There were ten of them on board but she kept getting lost trying to find Nik, and a bunch of the others were out of sight too."

"Don't call my baby a boat!" Ric slurred out. "This monster is a fucking yacht."

"Right. Has anyone seen Nik?"

"Oh, did you not want me to throw him overboard?" Damon joked.

"Cute, Damon." Caroline replied.

"He's off with Stefan again." Damon replied.

"Is that jealousy I'm detecting in your voice?" Elena teased him.

"I'm not jealous! Stefan can have friends, although I think it's a little weird they're doing that stupid joke where they refer to themselves as brothers." Damon huffed.

"Oh, come on, don't you see what they're doing?" Ric protested.

"Enlighten me, teach." Damon said.

"They're doing it because of their girls. Nik wants to get in good with someone Care considers family, and he wants to get more make sure his sister is with someone he can trust. Stefan wants one of Becca's brothers to like him, and he wants to make sure Caroline is in good hands."

"So..." Damon started.

"They're protective." Ric suggested. "They want to keep an eye on the people who are with the girls they care about. It's why Meredith's brothers are always checking in on me. They act like they're calling to chat, but they're really making sure I'm treating her ok and she taken care of. If I had a sister, I'd be the same way."

"I can be protective. Why isn't Nik trying to kiss my ass?" Damon suggested.

"Oh please. The only person you're protective with is Elena." Ric snorted. "You let everyone else make their own mistakes and learn their own lessons."

Damon looked to Elena for some defense.

"It's true." She shrugged.

"Traitor!" He gasped, pretending to be shocked.

"Let me make it up to you." She smiled, grabbing his hand. The two of them took off below deck.

Caroline and Ric both rolled their eyes as the two of them hurried down the steps to the cabins.

"They do that a lot." Ric mused.

"Yeah." She agreed.

"Well, I'm going to check on the lady driving the boat." He said. "Bullet wound is over there with his real brother and his fake one, if you're looking for him." He pointed to the other side of the boat. "Just up that set of stairs."

Caroline walked over to the other side of the deck and climbed up the tiny spiral staircase. There was a room with a full bar set up and a bunch of cozy arm chairs. Glass panels surrounded the walls so they could look out at the vast expanses of the ocean that surrounded them. Elijah, Stefan and Nik were sitting in armchairs that circled a low table, each of their drinks resting on it.

She watched Stefan cut the ends off a few cigars and hand one to each of them, searching his pockets for a lighter. They were toasting to getting off the island alive, and to their general good fortune at the moment. As Stefan passed the lighter around and clouds of smoke furled around the three of them, she considered slipping back out, and letting them enjoy whatever male bonding thing they were doing.

Elijah said something quietly that made the other two laugh, and Stefan slapped Nik on the back, turning to say something to him. They were all smiling, their posture relaxed. It was nice to see the type of relationship Nik had with his older brother, and it made Caroline strangely happy to see him get along so well with Stefan.

Nik caught sight of her in the doorway and stood up, setting his cigar on a plate on the table.

"Hello, Love. Join us." He said as he walked over to her, offering his hand.

"I can go do something else, I didn't mean to interrupt you guys." she offered.

"Nonsense" Nik insisted, pulling her into the room.

He settled back in his chair, and she perched on one of the arms, letting her feet dangle off the side. He frowned a bit, regarding her sitting so close and yet just out of his reach, so he scooped her up and pulled her onto his lap instead, wrapping an arm securely around her waist.

She leaned forward to take a sip of his drink, then passed it to him. He took a sip and offered her another before setting it back on the table.

Elijah continued the story he had been telling, and the others listened quietly.

Nik reached forward to take another puff of the cigar sitting on the table in front of him, but hesitated before bringing it to his lips.

He looked at Caroline and started to put it back down. Elijah noticed and cleared his throat, shooting a look at Stefan, who was chewing on his own cigar absently.

"Perhaps we should put these out while a lady is present." Elijah said pointedly.

Stefan laughed, which caused the other two men to look at him sharply.

"It's fine, really." Caroline said. She motioned for Nik to hand her the cigar in his hand, which he did hesitantly. She took a few puffs and handed it back to him. "See. Not that much of a lady after all." She joked.

"Care and I spent a lot of time in cigar bars when we were in Puerto Rico last year." Stefan explained. "I know most girls hate these things, but I got her hooked."

"Guilty." Caroline shrugged.

Nik smiled, watching the smoke furl from her mouth, enjoying the intimate way she passed it back and forth with him, the little cloud that snaked around their bodies. He watched Elijah hesitantly begin talking again, double checking to make sure she wasn't bothered by the smoke. His brother was incredibly old fashioned, and he wanted to make sure they weren't being rude.

Nik barely glanced at his brother as he continued the story. He wasn't listening anyway. He was watching Caroline greedily reach for his cigar, his drink, sharing in all his vices. He would trace his fingers along her skin, lean closer to kiss her shoulder or whisper in her ear.

He kept playing with a lock of her hair, listening to Caroline and Stefan swap stories about all their adventures, trade dirty jokes to get a rise out of Elijah. Caroline was always the one to get him to cough into his drink or sputter a bit. There was something shocking about the things that could come out of her angelic looking mouth.

He wrapped his arms around her tighter, watching Caroline put the finishing touches on a truly filthy joke, cigar in one hand, drink in the other. Elijah looked mortified.

"I can't believe it, but you have truly met your match Niklaus." Elijah said. "She's as wicked as you are, and as funny as you are not."

"Nonsense. Caroline isn't wicked. She's an angel. And far too good to be mine."

"There are no angels on this boat." Elijah smiled.

"Then here's to all us devils." Stefan toasted, raising his glass.

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Caroline said, looking around the empty room where she and Nik were curled up. Elijah and Stefan had both left and now they were all alone in the little bar room, curled against each other on a cozy chair.

Nik straightened up. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly." She smiled, bringing her lips to his.

He pulled her closer, watching the remaining clouds of smoke sift around her like a halo. The glasses on the table were empty, they were all alone.

After a few moments he pulled away and took a moment to trace the side of her face, looking at her as if he was trying to memorize every detail.

"Stefan was right, you know." He said.

"What, that we're all devils here? This boat full of outlaws?"

"No, something he said about you."

"You guys talk about me?" She said, smiling.

"Quite a bit. I'm learning a lot of interesting things about you. Today it's that you like cigars, yesterday Stefan told me about your high school beauty pageant days."

"Oh god, that's embarrassing, I should never have told him about it."

"Still have the crown and sash?"

"Somewhere at my mom's house. Why is Stefan telling you all my dirty secrets?"

"We're just talking about you. I didn't understand it at first, how you and him could be friends without having ever been more, but I think I get it now."

"Oh yeah?"

"I don't really have friends, but I suppose if I did, Bonnie would be a close one. She and I have never been involved like that, but I do value her opinion. I've had several conversations with her and Emily, my boss and a relative of hers, about you over these past few months."

"Who's Bonnie?"

"She's the driver, pick up person, runs some errands for the group. I've been meaning to introduce her to you, maybe ask her to stay with you to keep you company if I ever get a last minute job and there's not time to send you to stay with Stefan and Elena and all them.

"And she knows all about me already?"

"Just a few things, I needed help! I'm not good at this dating stuff."

"I beg to differ."

"Well I have no idea what I'm doing, so I sometimes have to ask for help from more experienced people. Like Bonnie. Who I think you might like."

"Bonnie, Jimmy, Robbie, Emily, you're talking about me with everyone? So much for privacy!"

"Nothing private, just getting their advice. You didn't make it easy for me."

"I'm sorry." She said. "I don't know why I fought it as long as I did. Letting myself be happy with you is the scariest thing I've ever done."

"Don't ever be sorry. I might never have learned to appreciate you so much if I hadn't had to fight for it. But don't be scared either."

"I'm not... usually. But I am sometimes. You kill people. It's what you do. And being with you, it made me realize I'm not that different. I can't pretend to be a normal person when I've always wanted the adventure and the danger. What you do doesn't make me love you less, it makes me love you more. That scares me."

"I've been waiting for you to tell me you want me to stop, that my job isn't ok with you."

"I sometimes do wish you could stop. Only because I'm terrified you'll get hurt or get caught or worse. But I know it's who you are. So I'll never tell you to stop doing your job. All I ask is you be careful, and be quick so you can come back to me."

He nodded. "I think I can manage that."

She snuggled closer to him. "I want a life with you. I know it won't be ordinary or safe or stable, but that's what makes it us."

He felt like his heart might explode. He had never even hoped to find someone who could feel this way about him, about the darker parts of who he was.

"The thing Stefan said about you." He said "Was that there are no people like you, Caroline. No one. There's just you."

She smiled at him.

"And I agree." He continued. "There's no one who could ever be anything like you. You have no idea how precious you are to me. I didn't think someone as amazing as you could possibly exist. Even now, I find it hard to believe I get to wake up next to you. Why did you choose me?"

She shook her head. "You talk about me like I'm..."

"Transcendent? Angelic? Far too good for me?" He offered.

"See, that's what I'm talking about! You have this crazy notion that I'm better. I'm not. Why don't you see how much you have to give? You've literally saved my life, you took a bullet for my friend, You spend time taking care of a kid you care about just because you want him to have a happy childhood. You're protective of your family and for some reason you decided I was worth protecting too. How do you not see it?"

"I'm just trying to be as close to the person you deserve as I can be."

"Nik, you've always been more than that. I'm the lucky one here. I can't believe I have you."

"I still think I'm the one who got lucky. you must have a very warped sense of what you deserve if you don't think you can do any better than me."

"Can we just agree that we're equally lucky?" She offered. "And just be sublimely happy?"

"I think I can agree to that."

* * *

Elijah went back to his bedroom below deck, contemplating the book in his suitcase and the possibility of reading it uninterrupted. Of course, with all the loud and demanding personalities on board, it was probably wishful thinking.

One look at the figure waiting in his room was all it took for him to forget everything that had been on his mind on the walk over there.

Katherine was sprawled out on his bed in her smallest black bathing suit, reading his book. He was mildly annoyed that she was already past where the bookmark was. It was her little game, sneaking away whatever he was reading and trying to finish it before him. Sometimes they would compromise and lay next to each other, silently reading each page together.

"I'm 40 pages ahead of you, Eli." She smirked, putting her own bookmark ahead of his. "Want to know what happens next?"

"What are you doing in here?" He asked, still trying to hold on to the scraps of the pretense he once had, pretending to despise her.

"My bed wasn't so comfy, and I don't have any good books with me. I looked in here. Comfy bed. Good book. Maybe we should switch rooms?"

"So you can interrupt me again by pretending to leave something in the old room?"

"Only because you're making me find excuses to keep seeing you."

"Excuse me for not jumping for joy at the chance of being robbed blind again."

"You know I'm smarter than to cross you again, Eli."

"Are you?" He asked.

She pulled herself up and moved closer to him.

He stayed very still, trying not to stare as she sauntered over to him.

"You smell awful, Eli." She joked. "Cigars with the boys?"

"You caught me." He smiled.

She just scrunched up her nose.

"I, um. Excuse me for a moment." He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth and washed his hands. He paused for a moment, wondering why he was scrambling to meet her ever whim again. He had held the upper hand for a moment when he had first walked through the door back on the island, but Kat always send his best laid plans crashing down.

He walked back out.

"Better?" he asked.

Katherine moved closer to him and leaned against him. He hesitantly moved an arm around her as she snuggled into his side.

"Nope, You still stink." She joked.

"I beg your pardon?" he sputtered, paralyzed by her sharp words combined with the soft touches of her hand sliding across the back of his neck, her mouth only an inch away from his skin.

"Yup. It's all over you." She smiled. "Your clothes are all cigar scented. Gross."

He considered telling her she was welcome to leave if she wanted, but the words would never make it out of his mouth. As much as he liked to pretend he was fed up with her, he really just wanted to extend this moment as much as possible. He wanted to stay close to her as long as she would allow it.

"This will have to go." Katherine said, pulling at his shirt.

He hesitated a bit, but let her remove it.

"And this." She reached for his pants.

He felt stuck to the ground, immobilized by the dual emotions. She was the devil incarnate, the temptress that nearly destroyed his life, she had taken everything. At the same time, even knowing how it would end, he would do it all over. He would go through it all again just to be with her.

He felt his pants fall to the ground and stepped out of them.

She pulled herself closer, skin against skin, her breath trailing heat across his neck.

"Nope." she muttered. "Still smell all cigar like. What are we going to do about that?"

"Kat." He warned.

She was darting across the room, and he felt empty at the loss of her warm body next to his. The shower turned on. Her hand was on his, leading him towards the bathroom.

"These will have to come off." She said, pulling on the waistband of his underwear.

He jumped a bit as her hand grazed across him as she pulled the last of his clothing away. Her hand moved lazily across his member.

"Don't start something you can't finish, Kat." He growled.

"Oh, I have no intention of stopping." She whispered in his ear, at the same time wrapping a hand firmly around him. She smirked a bit as she pumped up and down, feeling him grow harder against her touch.

How much could one man take? He had reached his breaking point. Before he could reason with himself and remember why she was the worst thing that ever happened to him, Elijah found himself picking Katherine up and placing her in the steamy shower, stepping in after her.

Her eyes glowed back at him. Her Eli was finally back.

Elijah pushed her against the slick wall and kissed her. He could feel her holding on tightly as she kissed back. She switched back and forth between aggressive hard kisses and soft ones, scratching at his back and tracing her fingers lightly around it. She moved her hands through his hair and sighed into his kisses, every touch begging him for more.

Her hands found their way back to his hard length and she stroked him again, this time sliding her hands along wet skin under the steamy heat of the shower. He groaned, unable to think straight when she made him feel this good. He moved his hands all over her, feeling every inch. The bathing suit she was wearing had to go. He pulled one of the strings, and the top was off. His hands explored every inch before he finally reached down her stomach, along her hip, and found the string at the side of the bathing suit bottom.

He flung it away and slid his hand down to cup the area it had covered. She was taking in sharp breaths and pulling on him harder. He let one finger brush against her core and she let out a whimper. He slid it into her and she whined out his name.

She loved being able to manipulate people, to get them to do whatever she wanted, but once Elijah started to slide a finger in and out of her, she was done for. She would do anything he asked at that moment, anything to keep him from stopping.

Her back arched and she push her hips greedily at him, begging for more, more.

He moved slow, making her shudder and plead with him. He wanted to savor every moment of this.

She couldn't take it anymore so she took matters into her own hands. She begrudgingly moved his hand away and wrapped one leg around his waist. She took him in her hands and guided him into her. Elijah's eyes fluttered closed at the sensation of it, letting her control the movement only for a moment before he took over, pushing harder and deeper, kissing her again and again.

Katherine pushed back with every movement, shifting along the shower wall until she was sliding down, pulling him with her so she had him pinned underneath her on the floor.

He flipped them over, carefully guarding her head from getting bumped against the floor. Katherine let out a squeak of excitement as he took control. She loved calling the shots, but she liked it even better when he took control.

Suddenly he stopped, and he was pulling her up.

"Eli?" she asked.

"Bed." He replied, and pulled her towards the bedroom, not bothering to turn off the shower.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, as he scooped her up and dropped her back down on the mattress.

He was over her instantly, pickup up right where they left off. She felt a shiver as the air hit her wet skin, and the contrast between that and the warmth of his body against hers made everything seem all the more heightened.

She felt herself getting closer, and Elijah pulled her tighter against him, knowing exactly what she liked. She went over the edge in a wave of pleasure and felt him follow soon after.

Elijah walked back from turning the shower off and saw she was already asleep. He carefully wrapped a blanket around her and slid into the bed next to her. Katherine was wild, even in her sleep. She was a tangle of limbs, messy wild hair, a streak of purple here, a tattoo there, an innocent smile that helped her get away with not so innocent things.

They made quite a pair, the wild girl and the straight laced scientist. She made him relax, enjoy life, have fun. In exchange, he hoped he offered her something as well. He closed his eyes and moved an arm around her waist, hoping that she would still be there when he woke up. He still wasn't sure if she really liked him or if it was all part of her game, her trying to one up him by proving she could get him to fall for her traps again, that even he wasn't smarter than her. For the moment, it didn't matter. For the moment, he just wanted to fall asleep next to her.

* * *

Goodbyes are always difficult, but they weren't forever goodbyes. Caroline knew she'd see her friends again in a month, Nik was sending her ahead to New Orleans to visit them while he went on a job. They had been a wild group, the ten of them all on the boat together, but they had fun. They had all agreed to find a way to spend Christmas and New Year's together, The Mikaelsons, The Salvatores, The Fell-Saltzmans, and all the rest. They didn't know it at the time, but it would be a tradition they would end up keeping year after year.

Caroline hugged Elena one last time before getting in the car. Nik was whispering something to Rebecca, and he gave her a final hug before nodding to Elijah and starting the car. She watched the others fade away in the distance. They were on their way to the airport, to catch their flight to Rome.

* * *

The next day she woke up in Rome. Nik had woken up early, chatting excitedly about everything he wanted to show her. There was art, history, food, the amazing views, the shopping. He needed her to get a little of all of it on that first day. They spent all day running around the city, taking in the sights. Once the sun went down he took her to his favorite cafe, where they could eat at outdoor tables under strings of lights.

Every day he found something new in the city to show her. They spent weeks exploring the city. Eventually he had to leave, he had the job to do. She went to New Orleans and got to spend time with Elena and Stefan and Damon. It was as if no time had passed as all. They were as close as ever. She was a bit wary of Becca at first, but Stefan had insisted she was worth getting to know, and she was Nik's sister after all. By the time he came to join her, she and Becca had their own inside jokes and stories. He pretended not to care, but she could tell it meant a lot to him that she had bonded with his family.

They had a few weeks in that city as well, then Elena and the Salvatores had a new trip to go on, Becca had to go back to school, and Nik and Caroline were off to Paris.


	27. Chapter 27

Caroline looked at the party surrounding her. It was her best one yet. They had found the contemporary loft in the trendiest neighborhood in Paris, and the dark, classical looking paintings looked gorgeous against the contrast of the sleek, modern loft.

The champagne was flowing, the food was moving, and people were laughing. There were a few high ranking politicians and even a few movie stars in the crowd. Most of the paintings now had red tags next to them marked 'SOLD' and there was still at least an hour left.

"You're the one in charge?" Someone asked her.

She spun around wearing her best hostess smile and nearly dropped her champagne glass. It was impossible to not know who he was. He was on the cover of Rolling Stone that month and he was on stage at the Grammys only a week before that, holding six of the golden awards.

"Um, yeah, Caroline Forbes." She introduced herself.

"I'm-"

"Oh, I know who you are." She smiled.

"These paintings are crazy, My friend told me about him, I had to see it for myself."

"Yeah. He's very talented. We're thankful for all the recognition he's been getting recently."

"So can I talk to him?" He asked.

"Oh, were you interested in buying one? Because I'm handling that."

"Actually I wanted to ask him about the chance for a collaboration. I was thinking something like what he does would be perfect for my next album cover, and with the tour coming up, I'm looking for some unique stuff for the sets, and I was thinking he might be able to design something?"

"Wow, that sounds like it would be a lot of work."

"I promise you, he would be well compensation for his time."

She tried to snap out of it, still a little star struck from having a conversation with the man who was so famous he needed only be referred to by his first name.

"Right, I'll go get him and introduce you."

* * *

Nik was hiding in the shadows at his own party. Caroline had insisted it would be rude for him not to attend, otherwise he would have stayed home. All these crowds of people made him uneasy. He didn't worry about his other identity as a killer being discovered, there was no way to trace the two sides of him to each other, but at the same time, he wasn't about to start going out of his way to give interviews and get his photo taken for the papers.

"Someone wants to talk to you." Caroline said, greeting him with a kiss. "A very interesting business proposal."

"Why can't they talk to you?"

"They did. This one you'll need to actually talk to yourself. How do you feel about album covers?"

"Most of them are dreadful and stupid."

"Great. So someone like you could easily make the best one ever."

"Is that who I think it is?" He motioned towards Mr. six grammys.

"Yes."

"Good, they'll take his photo instead of mine."

"He's the one who wants to talk to you."

"Oh, bloody hell."

"Just talk to him, Nik."

"Oh, fine." He grumbled, taking a swig of his drink.

She leaned against the wall, watching him hesitantly approach the man to start a conversation. It was kind of cute, actually. Her badass hit-man boyfriend was nervous about making small talk. Usually Nik stayed reserved in polite conversation, looking to Caroline to help him fill in the gaps, but he surprised her by seeming at ease with this man. Within a minute they were laughing and gesturing wildly. They went over to the bar and discussed their plans while Nik scribbled sketches on napkins, and the man nodded in agreement.

When the arrived back at their flat, he was in a good mood, something that he usually wasn't after spending hours around other people. He never was much for the company of strangers.

He scooped her up and carried her across the threshold, sitting her on the kitchen counter. He kissed her passionately and pulled her close. She thanked the slit in her dress for letting her maneuver her legs so she could wrap them around his waist.

"You were incredible! Every painting sold! And how did you get them to go above asking price?"

"It was your work, Nik, I just get people to buy it."

"And you did an amazing job! I could never do this without you."

"And how did your conversation with You-Know-Who go?"

"I want to do it. I think, I can do the designs for the set pieces, and find a team to assemble them. Most of the work I would do would involve a combination of paintings and digital art that would be projected during the concerts. That and the album cover, of course. He's interested in the stuff like I did last spring, the really dark paintings."

"That's right before you met me."

"That's why they're so dark."

"I loved those ones." Caroline said.

"You say that about all of them."

"It's true about all of them. But I love you the most."

"And I love you."

"So you're ok with this? It'll be a big project. You'll have to stay around for a while. No jetting off to the middle of nowhere for weeks at a time to go kill people when there's an impatient celebrity trying to get ahold of you."

"I thought about that, actually. It's something I've been thinking for a while."

"What's that?"

"Because of you, because of all you've done with the art shows, I can stop working today, and we'll be able to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. I don't have to work for Emily ever again. This new offer, and I can give you a life of riches without ever going on another kill."

"Nik, you know I don't care. As long as we're together, it doesn't matter if we have money. But what are you saying? You love your job. It's who you are."

"Yes, but I won't be young enough to keep up with it forever. Eventually I'll have to let it go. And I do love it. It's like nothing else. That's why I was thinking..."

"What?"

"I was considering talking to Emily. Taking only one or two jobs with her a year from now on. Then spending the rest of my time with you, working on the paintings. You are selling them faster than I can make them at this point."

"So I still get to have an amazingly badass hit-man boyfriend, but he'll be home a lot more often?"

"Precisely."

"Then I say this sounds like a wonderful plan."

* * *

A few days later Caroline sat at their kitchen table making phone calls with the buyers. She had to make sure she got all their information correct and confirm the shipping arrangements, thank people for their purchases.

He was upstairs, already working on the new project. She could hear the music from the room coming faintly down the stairs along with the sounds of his feet tapping impatiently and brushes swirling though glasses, clinking on the edges as he rinsed them off.

She went over the shipping procedures with the client on the line as he walked down the stairs covered in paint.

He glanced at the notes in front of her, mostly figures and addresses, kissing her forehead as he came into the room to grab a drink from the refrigerator. She hung up the phone and stood next to him where he leaned against the counter.

"That's the last of them." She said. "Everything gets shipped out this afternoon, the checks will start clearing tomorrow or the next day"

She moved to lean against him.

"Careful" He warned her. "I'm covered in paint."

"I'm wearing the same dress I had on last time you got me all covered in paint." She said, motioning to the streaks of red all over her white dress. It would have looked like an intentional design to anyone who saw her wearing it, but it was their private joke. She had been wearing it the last time they attempted to have him paint and her model. Those types of sessions never seemed to last long before they both got distracted.

She breathed in, leaning against him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He smelled like turpentine and oil paints. The streaks of black and sepia brown across his arms would end up adding to smudgy design of the dress.

"Want to see it?" He offered.

"You finished?" She asked, surprised. "You've only had a few days to work on it."

"Just the center piece. The rest all snakes out from the big painting."

"Did you show him yet?" She asked.

"You're the first." He smiled. "He and I came up with the concept together, so he's seen the sketches, but I wanted you to see the finished product first."

He pulled her up the stairs, a little nervous and excited about her seeing the project. She had been asking about the new collaboration with the musician, and he had been a bit cagey with his responses, wanting to wait until they had a clear picture of it to tell her.

She made it into the room and saw the massive canvas propped up in the center of the room.

"Wow." She breathed out, stunned by what she saw.

It did remind her of his darker works for the previous spring, mostly black and dark browns in the corners of the painting, fading in to more reds towards the center. A river of blood cracked through the darkness, seeping into browns with disturbing realism. Then there was her. Right in the middle of the canvas was a perfect portrait of her. She was kneeling on the ground in a white dress, a pool of blood surrounding her, it seeping up the fabric. Her fingertips were red as well, it looked like she was tracing them through the blood. There were huge feathery white wings protruding from her back, creating a golden glow around her. It was all darkness and a burst of light. It was his world before her and it was her, unexpected, a contrast to everything around her, turning it all upside down.

"That's me." She whispered.

"My angel in the blood and darkness."

"I'm the center piece?" She said, a bit stunned.

"You don't like it."

"No! I love it! I'm just a bit confused. I thought this was the project for the album cover and the tour."

"It is. He wanted darkness and hellish imagery, with a sharply contrasting angelic image. A beautiful woman. I picked the woman."

"This is going to be an album cover?" She said, looking at her own likeness.

"And the backdrop for the stage during the tour, and they're going to use this as a starting point for the costumes for the dancers."

"Wow."

"What do you think?" He asked hesitantly.

"I think it's perfect."

He kissed the top of her head.

"I'm going to show you some real art tonight." He said.

"Nik, we've been to the Louvre three times already."

"Which means it's time you see something different. You, me, the Carnavalet, tonight."

She looked at him. "Won't it be closing soon?"

"Who said anything about making it there before closing?"

* * *

Elijah took the elevator up to the 73rd floor. His would be in the office today, handling mundane paperwork that needed to be caught up on. It was a grand, ornate corner office that screamed status and wealth, but he preferred to be down in the labs as much as possible.

Four days out of the week he was down in the basement labs, working with the teams of scientists he led, building the robotics or leaning over tables with a group of eager minds, scribbling down ideas and formulas.

Today was his bad day of the week, Wednesdays were for meetings and paperwork and dealing with the heads of departments and CEOs who always had questions and demands. Life was back to normal. Kat and he had parted ways once the boat docked. He hadn't had any contact with her for months. It was for the best. It never would have worked.

He reached the right floor and stepped out. At least up here they had decent food in the break room. He stopped for a pastry and cup of tea and made idle chit chat with the men in suits who didn't understand why he chose to spend so much time down with the basement geeks. They were always amused or impressed with Elijah's creations, but they didn't understand his passion for being in the center of the creative process, being part of the actual putting together, fitting the parts together and watching something work for the first time.

"What's new this week, Mikaelson?" Someone asked.

"A robotic arm that can perform vein surgery with twelve times the precision of the human hand."

"Uh, cool. Hey, was that your sister down with the lab ge- the uh, the scientists last week?"

"Yes." Elijah beamed. "Becca's been visiting on days her class schedule allows the trip out here. She's still planning on going into the medical field in some capacity, so the surgical robotics were of particular interest to her."

"You must be proud."

"Oh, I am."

"And that boyfriend of hers? He still in the picture?"

"It seems as much." Elijah grumbled.

"Not a fan?" The man asked.

"Stefan's alright, I suppose. I just want Becca to have her mind on her studies. It's best if she's not distracted."

"You're one to talk." One of the other men in the break room laughed.

"Pardon?" Elijah said. He was visibly annoyed. He had never let his personal life affect his work in a negative way.

"What's your first meeting today, hmmm?" The man asked, grinning obnoxiously.

"I have the head of finance at 10. Something about a new investor." Elijah said.

"Well unless the head of finance likes to show up an hour early and has suddenly morphed from the crypt keeper to a supermodel, I'm guessing that something very distracting is waiting for you in your office."

Elijah set his plate down and slowly walked out of the room. He was a bit confused. All of the executives he dealt with were men. Becca was the only woman who has ever set foot in his office.

He opened the door and someone was sitting on his desk.

"Katerina." He said, looking at her with shock.

"Elijah." She smiled back.

He took a moment to collect himself. She was distracting, that much was true. Kat was wearing an impossibly small red dress and sky high heels. Dark curls cascaded over one shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" He stammered out.

"Oh, am I early? I guess it's not quite ten yet, but I was a little anxious."

"I don't understand. We talked. Decided it was best to leave things alone."

"No, you decided it was best to leave things alone." She corrected. "I tried, but I'm not really liking how that's worked out so far."

"You can't just come in here and..."

"And what?"

The ancient head of the finance department walked by the office, did a double take at the woman sitting on the desk, then entered the room.

"Oh good, you two met. I was going to introduce you at the meeting."

"What?" Elijah asked.

"Thank you, Mr. Banks." Katherine smiled. "I'm so excited to be a part of this project."

Elijah looked confused.

"Ms. Gilbert has agreed to back your robotics lab, Mikaelson. She's the reason you have the funding to build these vein robots."

"You what?" Elijah asked her.

"I told you I was changing careers." She smiled.

"Ms. Gilbert, I hope your stay at the hilton has been pleasant so far?" Mr. Banks politely asked.

"It has been, but I won't be staying there much longer." She smiled. "Mr. Mikaelson has been so kind, offering me a place to stay in his home. It turns out that his sister recently moved into her boyfriend's apartment and he has a spare room. I couldn't possibly turn down such a kind offer."

"Smart move, Mikaelson." the executive mumbled, not loud enough for Katherine to hear. "It's about time you had some fun."

The executive looked at his watch and excused himself, leaving the two of them to finish their meeting alone.

"Are you crazy?" Elijah demanded. "This isn't a game, this is my work."

"My work too." Katherine smiled.

A delivery man arrived with several large boxes, and poked his head in to ask for a signature. Katherine greeted him and pointed to the empty wall along the side of Elijah's office.

"Kat, what's going on?"

"Oh, didn't you hear? Part of my contract as an investor stipulated that I had access to you at all times, you know, to make sure my money was in good hands. They agreed to let me share your office for the duration of the project."

"Kat, how much did you spend? This project costs millions."

"All of it."

"What?"

"Every last penny I've ever made is now yours. You and your team of scientists. That's why I'm hoping you really will offer to let me stay in your house. You see, I can't exactly afford to stay in the hilton after tomorrow, what with the empty accounts and all."

He looked at her. It was impossible to say no to that face.

"Of course. But why? You spent years accumulating your fortune, you were saving for your future."

"Elijah, the only future I want is with you. I know you think I'm obsessed with money, and that I'l go to any lengths to swindle it out of people, so this is my way of showing you that you mean more to me. I'd rather be broke if it means you would even consider giving me another chance."

In that moment everything was clear to him. It didn't matter how things started or what their shared past involved. All that mattered was who she was in this moment. She had always impressed him with her daring, her ability to take risks. She had just taken the biggest risk of her life on him.

His decision was already made. He was done for the moment she showed up.

He moved across the room and pulled her close, his lips colliding with hers.

She instantly wrapped her arms around him and kissed back, crashing into him, pulling him tighter, never wanting to let go.

They finally pulled apart to catch their breath, and to her surprise, he kept his arms around her, holding her against him as if he was afraid of her slipping away.

"Don't run away again, Kat."

"Never."

* * *

They arrived shortly after midnight. He had slipped a few bills to the guard, who patted him on the back and whispered something about talking business. The place was dark, so he brought a flashlight. She followed him through the creaky doors into what looked like a gorgeous mansion that just happened to be filled with the most beautiful furniture, paintings and sculptures. Even the building itself was art, every room ornate and sculpted, and so very Parisian.

Caroline let him lead the way through the Carnavalet, pulling her through the sculpture exhibits, whispering facts about each pice of art to her as they passed it. He had been here enough times to know his way through the halls, but it was her first time here.

"And this part." He whispered "Is actually the Hotel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau."

"Mmm, say that again, but slower." She joked.

"The French Revolution era paintings I wanted to show you are over here."

They went through the galleries, cutting through he darkness with the flashlight,

The paintings over here were bloody, vengeful and hopeful, sometimes formal yet sometimes very raw. She understood how this suited his tastes. It was very him.

He had paused to look at one of the painting when she slipped away.

He turned and she was gone. The flashlight cut through the darkness but it revealed only empty halls.

He followed the muffled footsteps and soft giggles that reverberate around the walls. there was a flash at the foot of a grand staircase and he darted through the rooms, finding the back staircase, knowing his way though all the shortcuts, to meet her face to face at the top of the stairs.

He jumped out to surprise her and she yelped, then swatted him playfully.

"You found me." She giggled, out of breath.

He tranced his thumb across her shoulder, lost in thoughts of how she looked in that moment, glowing under the dim emergency lights, standing at the top of the massive staircase, in one of the most beautiful foyers in all of Paris, but the entire museum was nothing compared to her.

"One day, I'll have a painting here." He said, looking around the halls.

"For now, I was thinking about you having something else here." She said.

He raised an eyebrow.

She grabbed the flashlight from him and took off down the hall, towards the furniture galleries.

He followed the flashlight, taunting him to stalk after her as she weaved through the rooms. She found one of the chambers that was set up to look like an ornate bedroom, the velvet ropes blocking a perfect recreation of something that had once been in the palace.

"Caroline" he warned as she swung a leg over the ropes and went out on the other side. "Be careful, love, these are antiques."

"Who do you think owned all these things?" She said, gesturing to the gold plated furniture around her.

He stepped over the ropes.

"Probably a series of men named Louis."

"Kings?" She smiled.

He nodded.

"Are you feeling royal, being in here?"

"Not yet." He mused, looking around.

"Do you think the kings sat in this chair?" She motioned to a delicate looking chair off to the side of the room.

"I'm not sitting in that chair, Caroline, It looks like it would snap if a fly sat on it."

"Something a little more sturdy?" She suggested, wandering around the room, touching everything.

She found an armoire and carefully opened one of the drawers. He cringed a bit as it creaked, hoping she wouldn't break anything.

"Do you think kings put their clothes in here?" She asked innocently.

"Probably."

She walked over to him and unbuttoned the dress shirt he had on, slid it off, carefully folded it, put it in the drawer and closed it.

"There. Feeling like a king yet?"

"Caroline, if we get caught in here..."

"Shush, I know you paid off the guards. Everything will be back in it's place when we leave."

She grabbed him by the t-shirt he had worn under the dress shirt and pulled him across the room.

She ran her hand along the massive four poster bed in the middle of the room. It was made of a sturdy dark wood, and the sheets and blankets had strands of gold woven in them. She hesitated, pushing on it with her hands to make sure it was sturdy before climbing up.

He eyed her carefully as she climbed up, careful at first, but then having a bit of fun bouncing up and down.

"Don't worry, this is sturdy enough." She said.

He looked around at the dark halls around them, half expecting one of the guards to pop up. Of course they wouldn't. He had paid them handsomely to leave them alone.

"Nik?" She asked innocently, tilting her head. "What do you think the kings did here?"

He smirked at her and walked over, about to jump in with her when she put a hand out to stop him.

"Wait. This bed is for kings. Are you a king?"

"Check the armoire, love. I believe you'll find my shirt in there."

"Well that settles it." She smiled and pulled him up.

She kissed him and slid her hands under his t-shirt, making quick work of undressing him. Her lips moved down his collarbone, his chest, always kissing the scars that were now faded to almost nothing. There were memories etched all over him.

He pulled her dress over her head and flung it to the side, laughing a bit as it landed on a fancy chair across the room. She went for his pants and threw them as well, making them land on a desk along the wall.

Not to be outdone, he removed her bra and got it to catch on a floor length mirror. She went for his underwear and flung them on a dresser. He pulled hers off slowly and threw them onto a table lamp.

She hooked a leg around his side and kissed him again, this time slowly, softly. He ran his tongue along her lip, finding his way into her mouth, tracing little patterns with the tip of his tongue along hers. He moved down to kiss her neck, slowly applying more pressure as she hummed out content noises.

She felt his hands sliding down her body, grazing over her breast with a feather light touch, moving down her side, caressing the side of her thigh, them moving inward. She let out a gasp as his fingers found her center, tracing along delicate skin as she whimpered and arched her back.

He moved down her chest as he slid a finger into her and took her nipple into his mouth at the same time. She cried out at the sensation, and slid her hands up and down his back.

She reached for his length and moved her palm against it before wrapping her hand around it and pumping.

He growled against her skin and she moved faster.

She couldn't take it much longer, so she positioned herself over him and moved their hands away. His found her hips as she slid down, taking all of him in.

They both sucked in a breath as their bodies joined and soon she felt his mouth on hers again, kissing her over and over as they moved in unison.

He turned them over so he was on top and shifted to find just the right movement. She let out a loud cry and pulled on him to do it again.

"Shh, love, the guards will hear you."

She felt helpless to stop, so she pushed her face against his skin and let that muffle her cries as she felt herself getting closer.

From his ragged breathing she knew he was close too.

She lifter her hips to meet his, matching each movement he made, running her nails down his back just how she knew he liked it.

Then she felt the warmth building inside her wash all over and just as she caught her breath he came too.

They spent a few moments relaxing in the King's bed before finding the energy to get up and collect the clothing they had thrown around the room. She double checked the sheets and pillows, making sure everything was just right.

He walked her through the galleries they hadn't seen on the way in, and led her out from the gardens. Judging from the looks the guards gave her on the way out, they had a pretty clear idea about what went on.

They had an hour before sunrise, so he suggested they find some warm drinks and sit by the river to watch it come up.

As the sun broke through the horizon and panted the sky orange, she leaned against him on the bench they were on and watched the night turn into day.

The air had a chill to it, so she snuggled closer to him, and he wrapped his arm around her. She absently traced patterns on the skin of his forearm while she watched the sunrise.

Suddenly, something clicked and she squeezed his arm, a panic flooding her face.

"Nik! Your shirt! We left it folded in that armoire."

"I know." He smiled.

"You left it there on purpose?"

"No one can see it, only we'll know it's there."

"But why?"

"As long as it's there, I'm the king."

She laughed. "I guess those are the rules. You're still the king."

* * *

A few weeks later they visited the museum again during the day. They stopped to look at the ornate bedroom from the other side of the velvet ropes along with the rest of the crowds.

They were standing next to a family of tourists when one of the children asked their parents who lived in that room.

"Oh, it's my room." Nik said, smiling at the kid.

"Yours, really?"

"Yes, nice to meet you, I'm the King. This pretty lady is the Queen." He motioned to Caroline. "Marie, won't you say hello to the young lad?"

"What's that Louis?" She joined in. "Oh, hello, nice to meet you."

The kid laughed and joked with them for a minute before scurrying after his parents to see the exhibit in the next room.

Caroline and Nik just stayed there for a while, looking out at the room, eyes darting back and forth from the bed to the armoire, sharing in their private joke.

* * *

**A/N So sad that there's only one chapter left to wrap everything up. Thank you everyone who has been reading and reviewing. I love love love seeing the reviews! Who do you think the musician from the first scenes was? I have an idea in my head but I'm curious who you thought he was. Now time to write the very last chapter of the story. What is everyone hoping to see in the final chapter? **

**Look out for chapter two of my new klaroline story 'Prowl' tomorrow, and an update on T.A.N.W.T.S. sometime this week as well. **


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N This is it, the final chapter. Thank you so so much for reading and for all the reviews, I loved reading every single one. I'm sorry to see this story end, but excited about getting into my new one, so make sure you check in for new chapters of 'Prowl' soon. **

* * *

**Epilogue - Three years later -**

* * *

Bonnie and Caroline were laughing at the movie on screen. Bonnie had come to stay with Caroline until it was time to swoop in and pick Nik up out of the jungle he was currently trekking through. He had insisted Caroline have Bonnie with her for most of his time away, he didn't want her to be alone.

It was a good thing the two girls got along so well. Nik had always said they would, but it wasn't until they met face to face a few years ago that they really bonded. Now it was like they had know each other forever.

Caroline climbed off the couch to poke around in the kitchen. "So we have leftover birthday cake and tequila." She offered.

"Sounds good." Bonnie replied.

Caroline brought everything out on the coffee table in front of them and they dug in.

"So, any new stories?" Caroline asked.

"Boy troubles, again." Bonnie sighed.

"Don't tell me Jeremy's calling again. You were right to cut him off after that thing about his ex."

"No, that's not it. Jamie and I ended up breaking up."

"What? That bastard." Caroline said.

Bonnie laughed. "I love how you take my side without even asking if it was my fault."

"Like I need to? You're my friend. And you keep Nik safe. I'm always going to be in your corner. Now spill the details."

"Ugh." Bonnie said. "I dumped him. He was great, just... too safe, you know? Like, I want the adventure and excitement and all the craziness, not some guy with a regular 9 to 5 who keeps asking me about settling down. I don't want to settle down. I want to have fun. Why is it that I can't find a guy who wants a relationship, but doesn't want to move to the suburbs and start having babies? I want someone who I can have adventures with."

"I understand completely." Caroline said.

"You've got the perfect mix. A serious relationship, but you still have so much fun. With Jamie, it was just the serious parts."

"Sounds like you need someone more wild." Caroline said.

"Yeah, but they have to look good in a suit too." Bonnie smiled. "And not be a total wimp. With my job, I feel like I'm always tougher than the guys I end up dating. For once I want to be with someone who makes me feel protected."

"I might have someone in mind." Caroline said. Nik would kill her, but it was so painfully obvious that a certain someone would be perfect for Bonnie.

"Don't tempt me." Bonnie said. "At this point, I might actually allow myself to be set up on a blind date."

Bonnie's phone went off.

"Shit. Time to go." She said, showing Caroline the message. Nik was done with the job.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Caroline asked.

"Oh no, after last time, I know better than to be around the two of you when you're reunited. Every time he gets back from a week long job you jump his bones like he's been at war for a year."

"Guilty." Caroline smiled.

"Don't I know it." Bonnie said. "Look, I'll have him back by this time tomorrow, you two have fun next week."

"Huh?" Caroline said.

"Christmas? He said you two were going to his brother's house?"

"Right." Caroline said. "I forgot that was next week already. What are you doing for the holidays?"

"Nothing special." Bonnie shrugged.

"Then you should come with us! There's a lot of people we do Christmas and New Year's with. It's a really fun group. We always start out at Elijah's house and end up on Alaric's boat. You'd love it. And my friends Elena and Katherine have been Dying to meet you."

"That really nice, but I couldn't. I don't think Nik wants to mix work and his person life. I've never even met any of his siblings, and we've worked together for like ten years." Bonnie said.

"Well you might be his work associate, but you're my friend. I'm inviting you."

"I guess I could meet you there after I get some things straightened up at home." Bonnie said.

Caroline jumped up and down and clapped her hands, excited.

"What should I bring?" Bonnie asked.

"Knowing this group, just bring some booze and they'll all warm up to you real fast." Caroline smiled.

* * *

Bonnie left to go pick up Nik. Caroline waited until the door closed then scurried for the phone. It was one of her rare chances to have one of the secret conversations she'd been sneaking off to have over the past few months.

"You alone?" She asked.

"Hold on a moment." said the voice on the other line. She heard him excuse himself to take the call, and step outside on his balcony.

"Alone." He said.

"Any news?" she asked.

"They said yes." He said warily.

"That's a good thing." She insisted.

"I'm worried about this. It's been so long. I don't know how Nik will react."

"I just hope he has a good reason for making the choice he did." She said.

"We discussed it. He did, in my opinion. I just hope Nik will understand."

"I hope so too." She said.

* * *

The next day he showed up at the doorstep, a little dirty and tired, but thankfully not a scratch on him.

Caroline heard the key enter the lock and she pounced on him before he even got a chance to put one foot in the doorway.

"I missed you so much." She managed to say between kisses. She was pulling him through the house, eager to plop him on the first soft surface she could find so she could start ripping his clothes off.

"I missed you more." he challenged.

"Not even possible." She said, pulling off his jacket. "No injuries, right?"

"Not a scratch." He smiled.

"And the job?"

"Went off without a hitch. Robbie says hi."

"Tell me Jimmy isn't letting him tag along for the drop offs. You promised to make Jimmy wait another two years."

"Nonsense. He was just on the plane that took me from the city out into the jungle. He's getting big. Starting to talk about girls like they don't have the plague anymore."

"We don't?" She joked.

"Bonnie said you invited her to Christmas."

"Don't be mad. You're the reason we're friends. And she doesn't have other plans."

"I'm not mad, I'm just concerned about Kol pestering her the whole time. It's mostly couples, and now the two of them. He's going to try to use it to his advantage and end up driving her crazy."

"Maybe she'll like him."

"No one likes Kol, he's a nut." He huffed.

"That might be just what she's looking for." Caroline smiled, pulling Nik's shirt over his head.

"Please don't tell me my favorite transporter has a thing for lunatic boys like my brother."

"And reveal confidential girl-talk information? Never. I'm just saying, that you might not need to be so worried about Kol bothering her." Caroline said.

"Anything to keep Kol's eyes off you. I swear one of these days I'll do more than break his hand."

"He means well." She hummed, trying to focus on undoing his zipper.

"Sweetheart, what he means to do is exactly why I broke his hand in the first place."

"Hey. I'm trying to get you naked here and you keep interrupting me by talking about your brother."

"Shutting up." He smiled, and reached for her dress.

* * *

**Christmas**

* * *

Caroline would have never thought she would see the day. She had just walked into the kitchen to greet Elijah and saw Elena's wild girl sister wearing a very domestic looking apron, streaks of flour across her face. Katherine was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by about a million dishes and pots. There were side dishes sitting on all the counters, and she had just pulled the turkey out of the oven, and was prodding it in a feeble attempt to figure out if it was done.

Elena and Damon were on the other side of the kitchen, arguing about some old family recipe she wanted to stick to and he wanted to change.

"Don't let her trick you into thinking she did any of the work." Elijah said, motioning to Katherine. "Kat's been pretending not to know how to do anything, just so I'll do it all myself."

"Hey I'm trying!" Katherine protested. "Eli, is this supposed to be pink?" she said, pointing at the turkey.

"And back in it goes." Elijah said, plopping it back in the oven.

"I'm useless." Katherine pouted.

"I disagree." Elijah said. He kissed her and smiled as he wiped the streak of flour off her face. "But I'm still in charge of cooking."

He pulled Caroline to the side.

"Does he have any clue?"

"None." Caroline smiled. "How much time?"

"In about a half hour. We wanted to get it over with before dinner. I just hope it doesn't end in a fight."

"Me too." Caroline said. "This is supposed to be a good thing."

* * *

Nik and Stefan were running around the back yard with Alaric and his two little boys. Stefan had brought nerf guns this year now that the kids were old enough to hold them. Alaric was on the ground, pretending one of his sons had shot him, laughing as he pretended to die.

"Who's team am I on?" Kol asked as he walked out into the backyard.

The kids scrambled to fight over 'Uncle Kol' and tackle him to the ground.

"It seems punctuality is still not your expertise." Nik said.

"Easy there, brother, I had to stop for refreshments." Kol said, gesturing towards the bottles he had set on the porch.

"Caroline's bringing a friend this year. Behave yourself." Nik warned.

"A lady friend? For me? It really is Christmas." Kol smiled.

"Let's not have a repeat of last year, shall we?" Nik warned.

"No mean no." Kol recited dutifully. "Now why is Elijah acting so strange?"

"Beats me." Nik shrugged. "Becca mentioned it too. Said he keeps calling Stefan and won't tell her what it's about."

"He's not exactly fond of Stefan." Kol said. "Why would they be talking?"

"I don't know. Caroline's been weird with him recently too."

"Oh? Are we in high school again? Do you think it'll be a repeat of Ta-"

"Not like that, Kol."

Kol shrugged.

Caroline walked out into the yard.

"Oh, good, You're here." She smiled at Kol. "Nik, Elijah has a surprise for you two and Becca. He wants all three of you to meet him in the study."

"Do you know what it is?" Nik asked.

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No."

"Alright, lets go." He sighed.

"I'm staying out here." Caroline said.

"Why?"

"It's a family thing." She said.

He looked confused.

"Nik, I love you, ok? What Elijah's doing is something he worked really hard on. Don't shut this out."

"Sweetheart, just tell me."

"Just go." She said.

* * *

Nik and Kol found Becca waiting impatiently for them in the doorway. The three of them walked down the hall to the set of closed doors Elijah stood in front of.

"I have something very important to show you." Elijah said to them.

He opened the doors and they looked inside.

The first thing that caught their attention was the red haired woman on the floor, chasing after a toddler who was attempting to crawl under a sofa. Two children with auburn hair were sitting there staring out at them, and behind them, a teenager who looked just like the red haired woman and a dark haired man. It had been almost two decades since any of them had seen him, but it was him.

"Finn." Nik whispered.

"Oh my god." Becca exclaimed.

Finn looked out at his siblings, all shocked except Elijah, who had been talking to him for months.

"I know you're all wondering why I'm here, after so many years of silence. I promise if you give me a chance, I can explain."

Nik looked warily at Becca and Kol, who were glaring at Elijah for keeping such a huge secret. They hesitantly stepped into the room.

Becca was blinking back tears.

"I was four when you left. You just left. Mother hid all your pictures. I couldn't even remember what you looked like."

Finn looked at her. He hardly recognized the woman in front of him as the same girl he never got to see grow up.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Not any of you. I just didn't know any other way."

"Why did you leave?" Nik asked.

"My senior year, Sage and I fell in love. I went to great lengths to hide it from Mikael. Knowing him, I didn't want to risk it."

The woman with the red hair hesitantly walked over to Finn and moved her hand across his back.

"Mikael found out. He always found out." Finn said. "He told me to get rid of her. I couldn't. We continued, and I thought it could be safe, that I could fool Mikael. Then Sage found out she was pregnant. Somehow, he found out. A week later Sage's brother borrowed her car. It exploded when he turned it on. The bomb was meant for her."

Nik looked at the teenager, to the younger kids. He had nieces and was almost grown. He had never known them.

"I couldn't let Mikael get to her. Not her, and not the baby." Finn continued. "So we ran, and we hid. We made a life halfway across the world and it's been a really good life. But I've always missed my siblings."

"Why are you here now?" Nik asked.

"Elijah found me. I told him I could never risk bringing Sage and the children around you. If Mikael was watching, he could kill them. It was too much of a risk. I told him to leave me alone. To never call again."

Elijah looked down, remembering the sting he had felt several years ago. He had finally tracked Finn down, only to be shut out.

"It turns out Elijah's girlfriend, Kat, is it? She can be a bit nosy. She was going through his office, found the correspondence, and took it upon herself to change my mind. She told me Mikael wasn't a problem anymore. Do I have you to thank for that, Niklaus?"

"You do." Nik said curtly.

"I came to Elijah after I was sure she was telling the truth. I apologized and begged him to meet with me. He told me he would only do it if I agreed to meet with all of you. So here I am. Here's my family, my wife my children. I'm asking you to give us a chance."

"Welcome back." Kol said, and pulled Finn into a hug. Kol walked over to Sage and hugged her as well, kissing her on the cheek.

Becca and Nik just looked at Kol like he was crazy.

"What?" Kol said. "You invited a pair of drug dealers to Christmas. Becca's dating one of them, You kill people. Can we hold the judgement and just be happy to have our brother back?"

Nik and Becca glanced at each other, surprised by the reason in Kol's word.

"I'm an aunt?" Becca asked, smiling.

Finn let out a sigh of relief.

"Niklaus?" He asked, his voice a bit hesitant. "Can you forgive me?"

Nik hesitated, looking over Finn, his whole family with him.

He sighed. "Welcome back, brother."

* * *

Elijah excused himself to check on the food while the rest of his siblings got reacquainted with their eldest brother. It had been hesitant and cagey at first but they were gradually warming to Finn and getting to know Sage and the children as well.

Caroline and Katherine were peaking through the oven at the turkey, debating what they were supposed to do with it. They were discussing how to get it out without dropping it on their feet when they heard him come in.

"How did it go?" Caroline asked.

"Better than I could have hoped." Elijah responded.

Caroline smiled and hugged him.

"Aren't you glad I snooped?" Katherine smiled.

"More than you know. You're fantastic when you're scheming." Elijah said, putting an arm around her. "Although, you're absolutely terrible when it comes to cooking."

"Good thing you're good at that." Katherine smiled.

Caroline's phone buzzed. A text from Elena.

**Your friend just showed up. Damon and I are feeding her shots. Sorry we're not sorry.**

She went out to the bar and found Bonnie laughing with Damon and Elena. The two of them had been married for over a year now, but that didn't change them at all. They were still wild and goofy together and could never get enough of each other.

"You guys, it's not even dinner time yet." Caroline said, raising her eyebrows as Damon poured himself another drink.

"How else are we supposed to bond with your friend? She brought bourbon." Damon motioned towards the bottle.

"I told them to wait until later." Bonnie apologized.

"You can never tell Damon to wait for anything." Caroline said. "Now that you met them, let me take you around and introduce you, Nik's brother Elijah and Elena's sister Katherine are in the kitchen."

Kol popped out of nowhere.

He caught sight of Bonnie and stomped right over to her, a look of determination on his face.

"You're far too beautiful to be drinking with this lot." Kol said to Bonnie, motioning to the rest of them.

"And you're too smart to expect a line like that to work." She replied.

"You're talking to me, aren't you?"

"I think I'm going to find Nik. I haven't said hi to him yet." Bonnie said.

"And why do you have to speak with my brother?"

"Just being friendly. Caroline invited me, but I know him from work. Wait, you're his brother too? How many of you are there?"

"Five now. Used to be four. Long story. The most important part is that I'm the one you want to get to know. It's Kol by the way."

"Bonnie. But I really should go say hello to Nik."

"I'll take you to him" Kol offered.

"Why do I feel like you're going to take me in the opposite direction just to get me alone?"

"Because that's exactly what I'm going to do. You'll love it. I'll be so charming that you'll completely forget about wanting to speak to boring old Niklaus."

Bonnie looked at Caroline for guidance, who shrugged and mouthed '_have fun_'.

Kol waited while Bonnie eyed him up and down before deciding to let him take her for a walk.

* * *

Caroline walked down the halls to find Nik sitting alone in one of the spare bedrooms. He was sitting at the foot of the bed, looking down at his hands.

"Hey." She smiled at him, leaning in the doorway.

He looked like he was deep in thought.

She walked in and curled herself next to him.

"How did it go?" She asked hesitantly.

"Elijah told me you were in contact with him, he told you when he wasn't ready to tell us yet, he asked you about how you thought I would handle it."

"I hated keeping a secret from you. But Elijah promised he would tell you today, so I agreed not to ruin his surprise."

"He trusts you."

"I trust him too."

"He says I'm different with you. He told me he would have been afraid to introduce me to Finn a few years ago, before you. That I would have lashed out at both of them."

"Would you have?"

"Yes. But today... I was angry for a moment, and then I decided to be happy to have another chance at getting to know him, a chance to meet his family and patch up our past. I think that's because of you."

"It isn't me, it's you." She protested.

"No. It's me because of you. I wake up happier. I look at life differently. It's you."

"Nik."

"Remember Elena and Damon's wedding?" He asked.

"How can I forget? I think Stefan and Becca broke up and got back together three times that night. And Kol walked in on them making up and ran across the dance floor screaming about burning his eyes out, There was the whole charade where Elijah and Kat were pretending not to be together, but everyone could see right through it."

"I meant the ceremony."

"Oh?"

"I hate weddings, especially the ceremony part. It's so tedious and boring. But that was the first one we went to together, and I was so... content, just sitting there next to you. I had forgotten how much I hate those things, because you were there and it was good because of that."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm just saying that even things I don't like aren't so bad anymore. Meeting Finn wasn't easy. He left us, he could have helped. I'm still angry. But I let him in, and I'm willing to make something of having him back in our lives. It's because of you."

"I think you're giving me too much credit. But just so you know, you've done a lot to make my life better as well."

"Oh?"

"I wake up happier too." She smiled, getting off the bed to walk over to the door.

"Where are you going?"

She locked it.

"We have a little time before we have to meet for dinner, how do you think we can make the time pass?" She said, slowly walking back over to him.

"I have a few ideas."

* * *

**New Year's Eve**

* * *

They were in the middle of a vast expanse of ocean, Alaric's boat speeding through the waters. It was a little more crowded than usual now that Finn and his family were aboard as well.

There were a few awkward moments, standoffs, collisions of egos. Becca and Sage were still a bit cold towards each other, Finn's older children didn't quite know what to make of the group of new relatives and their close friends. They were moving slowly towards becoming a family again, but the road was a little bumpy.

Caroline watched Nik and Elijah from across the room. They were drinking and chatting quietly about something. Nik seemed antsy, which was very out of character for him. He loved their New Year's Eve tradition of taking the boat out with everyone.

"Well now that Finn's here, I don't know if the timing is right..." Nik said.

"Stop making excuses. Just do it already." Elijah whispered.

"I will."

"And what are you waiting for?"

"I'll do it before midnight."

She caught his eye across the room and smiled.

He looked away, then gave her a hesitant smile back, before turning to whisper something to Elijah. She furrowed her brow. He was acting really strange.

Katherine and Elena were in the little bar room chatting with Bonnie, so she decided to join them.

"We were just grilling your friend for details." Kat said to Caroline.

"They're unrelenting." Bonnie agreed.

"I need to know!" Katherine exclaimed. "Every little detail! Spill."

"There's nothing to spill about." Bonnie said.

"Right, because you two keep sneaking off to do nothing." Elena said.

"Wait, what?" Caroline asked.

"They think I'm hooking up with Kol." Bonnie said.

"Are you?"

"No! Well, that depends on your definition of.. no! just stop asking!"

"You're so busted. I want details!" Katherine said.

Bonnie looked to Caroline for help.

"Hey do you guys think Nik is being weird tonight?" Caroline asked.

"No..." Katherine said, obviously holding something back.

"He did seem a little nervous at dinner." Elena offered. "Does he have a job coming up?"

"No, he's not going on another job for at least six months." Caroline said.

"Maybe an art thing?" Elena asked.

"I don't think so... It's just weird, like he hasn't looked me in the eye all night." Caroline said.

Katherine was suddenly very busy with her phone, keeping her face turned away from Caroline.

"Katherine, do you know something? Did he say anything?"

"Nope, nothing, I'm sure it's all fine, oh wow look at the time, I have to go find Eli." She said, hurrying out of the room.

"Oh my god. What's going on?" Caroline said. "Do you think he wants to break up? If he told Elijah and Elijah told Katherine..."

Elena shook her head. "There's no way. He wouldn't."

"But Lena, he's been so weird all night. And Katherine knows something."

"It can't be that, Care, it just can't."

"Oh god. Oh shit." Caroline muttered. "I can't believe it. But what else could it be? Oh, I feel sick."

"Care, I'm sure it's not that, just calm down."

"I'm going to go get some air."

* * *

Caroline walked out to the decks and leaned against the railing, inhaling the salt tinged breeze as they whipped through the water. Her heart was racing. She could't stand the idea, but he had been avoiding her all night, acting dodgy, not looking at her, whispering to Elijah.

"Hey." He said softly.

She jumped a bit as he appeared next to her.

"Oh, hey." She said nervously.

"Do you want to go up to the top deck? I wanted to talk to you. Alone." He said.

She looked him over. He was nervous about something, he kept wiping his hands on his pant legs and looking away from her as he spoke.

She wanted to run away. To avoid the conversation, to just have a little more time before he dropped the bomb on her. But she couldn't stand any more waiting.

"Ok." She said.

"Great." He said and took her hand, half leading, half pulling her up to the top deck.

* * *

It was a tiny little deck, just a square of space where they could look out and see all around them, the oceans on all sides, the rest of the boat below them.

She looked out at the view, then back at him. He was anxious, nervous, almost afraid. It was a look she had never seen on him.

"Nik, what's going on?" she asked.

"I just need to say something." He said.

_Oh god, here it comes, _she thought_. He's going to dump me_.

"Meeting you has changed everything in my life. I never imagined I could have what we have. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

_Well at least he's letting me down easy_.

"I love you so much, and I want to be the person who deserves you, although I know I may never be that person and yet you accept me as I am."

_Wait, what?_

"Caroline, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't promise that it will be easy or safe, but I can promise that I'll always put you first, and I'l do whatever it takes to make you happy."

"Nik?" She whispered.

He pulled a tiny box out of his pocket and opened it. It was a ring.

She inhaled sharply.

He hesitantly got down on one knee and held out the box.

She looked at him, his nervous expression, shaking hands, the box, the ring.

"Caroline, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She shouted.

A smile moved across his face and all the nerves disappeared.

She tackled him to the ground, knocking him on his back as she straddled him, ignoring the ring and instead going for him. She kissed him over and over. He pulled her tight against him and kissed her back urgently.

When she finally had to take a break to catch some air, she looked at the box he was still holding.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"I love it."

He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. She looked at her hand, and the sight of it made everything all the more real.

She curled against him, watching the oceans around them, letting the moment linger a little longer, just the two of them.

Fireworks started to blast across the sky.

"Midnight?" She asked him.

He looked down at his watch and nodded. It was a new year.

She kissed him again.

"Happy New Year." He said, reaching out to hold her hand. He traced along where the ring now sat on her finger.

"Happy New Year." She replied.

There was movement on the deck below them.

"Niklaus? What are you doing up there?" Kol shouted.

"I'm trying to have a moment, if you don't mind!" Nik shouted back.

"Well when you're done, get down here. We have champagne! You're supposed to drink to the new year!"

"We'll be down in a moment, Kol."

"Hey, I kissed the Bennett girl at midnight! Thanks for bringing her along."

"Leave him alone, Kol." Elijah said. "He's busy."

"Busy with what?" Kol asked.

Caroline looked down at Kol and Elijah, who were slowly being joined by the rest of the group on the decks.

"Well?" Elijah shouted up at Nik.

"She said yes!" Nik shouted down.

"Yes to what?" Kol asked.

"What do you think?" Becca asked him. "He finally worked up the nerve to ask her to marry him. It's about time."

"Nik? Married?"

"Shut up, Kol."

Caroline looked down at the group. Everyone was there. She waved to them and they all cheered and clinked glasses.

"Ready to join the party?" Nik offered.

"Just one more minute." She said.

He leaned down and kissed her again.

"Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" He asked.

"I've never been more sure of anything."

They climbed down the stairs and were rushed with people eager to congratulate them. Caroline was smashed in the middle of a hug between Elena and Becca who were both eager to see the ring and ask about how it happened.

She saw the scene unfold as if she was an onlooker watching everything happen. Her old life, her new life, him. All melding together. She could hold on to it all and he was right there beside her. And it was only the beginning.


End file.
